Rainy Days and Mondays
by scarlett2112
Summary: Left heartbroken and alone by the girl who walked away, Damon Salvatore RN, settles into a comfortable romance with an older, divorced doctor who has a young son. What will happen and how will he cope when she suddenly reappears in his life?
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome to 'Rainy Days and Mondays'._

 _Chapter one: 'Memories'_

* * *

 _Tangling my hand in her hair, I tip her head just the way I want it allowing me to deepen the kiss. The moan that escapes her mouth is needy and full of want. Pressing my naked body against hers, I grind my hardness against her drenched lady parts. Using my hips, I tease her till she's practically begging me to take her. As I begin my descent down her body, she grabs onto my face leading it to her beautiful breasts. I swirl my tongue around first one then her other nipple, softly scraping them with my teeth before latching on, suckling as if I'm a hungry baby needing sustenance._

 _She's writhing in need as I let go of one nipple with a plopping sound and continue down her body, laving her belly button with my tongue before moving even further south, settling between her legs when she widens them for me. The hungry look in her eyes ignites the already burning fire that I always feel whenever the two of us are together this way. When I press my lips and tongue to her flesh, she shamelessly laces her hands in my hair holding me close as I gently worry her clit with my teeth before using my tongue to probe, lap and swirl it inside of her. My name escapes her lips with reverence, almost as if in prayer. And with a few more flicks of my tongue and pass with my fingers, she lets go, her body convulsing in the pleasure that only I have given her._

 _Slowly I make my way back up her body. Wanting her to taste herself, I capture her lips in a heady kiss. Using her hands, she cradles my face, deepening it with the thrust of her tongue into my mouth. Pulling back breathlessly, I drop a kiss to the end of her nose then take myself in hand, running the head up and down her center, making her gasp and raise her hips as I sink inside, stilling for a moment to regain my control. She completes me, makes my body sing in a way no one else has. Wanting me to move, she digs her nails into my back while using her pelvic muscles to grip on to me._

 _"Okay baby, I'll move," I tell her as I pull out and slam back inside of her till we find our rhythm as we work in tandem to reach our nirvana. Being inside of her never fails to stoke the fire that burns out of control whenever we're together. My chest starts to heave as my breaths come out in spurts and gasps as I drive into her even harder, chasing a release for both of us. Feeling her tongue lick the sweat off of my skin, my eyes roll knowing now what it's like to have a love that consumes me, body, mind and soul._

 _When she grabs the curve of my ass, kneading firmly, I drop my lips to that spot on her neck that drives her wild. Gasping aloud, she wraps her legs around my waist, squeezing me firmly._

 _"Fuck Elena, what you do to me," I pant, pushing harder, stronger and faster, chasing the orgasm that only she can give me. I catch her knee and wrap it higher on my hip so I can go even deeper as the coil winds even tighter inside my lower belly. One more thrust causes the coil to burst as I detonate with the magnitude of the Vesuvius eruption. My body shudders as stream after stream of my release fills her womb. With a vise grip on my upper arms, she throws her head back in ecstasy, her body trembling with the force of magnitude ten earthquake._

 _When the waves have finally calmed, I collapse on top of her, both of us still jittery with the aftershocks. Pulling her into my arms, I press kiss after kiss to the top of her head. After my heart finally stops galloping against my chest, I close my eyes and tug her even closer._

 _"I love you, Elena," I whisper, dropping another kiss to her crown._

 _"And I love you, Damon, more than I can ever put into words."_

Beep, Beep, Beep starts blaring loudly at my bedside. Shooting upright in bed, I look around, feeling deflated when I realize it was only a dream. Sighing heavily, I reach over to turn off the alarm. After laying in bed for a few more minutes with my arm thrown across my eyes, I swallow thickly and swing my legs over the side of the bed. Feeling melancholy, I take a few deep breaths hoping to shake it off, only raising my eyes when I hear her footsteps nearing the room.

"You up, babe?" I hear her ask when she steps into the bedroom.

"Obviously, I utter, rolling my eyes.

"I'm going to jump into the shower." I tell her, standing up and walking into the bathroom. As the water pummels my body, I press one hand against the shower stall while reaching down to take myself in hand with the other, squeezing and rubbing till I release with thoughts of ' _her'_ filling my head.

Once I get out, I quickly throw my uniform on, comb my hair and put my shoes on. By the time I get downstairs, she has a cup of coffee waiting for me.

"Thanks," I tell her, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Do you want me to make you something to eat?"

"No, I'll get something at work. Listen, I'm going to go home after work in the morning. Tell Charlie that he has little league practice after school Friday. I'll pick him up unless you have other plans?" I mention, taking a sip from my coffee cup.

"Where is he?" I start to ask just as I hear the door slam shut.

"Hi Damon?" Charlie says, reaching up to give me a fist bump.

"I was just telling your mom that you have baseball practice Friday before Saturday's game. You up for it champ?" I ask, ruffing up his hair.

"I can't wait. I want to hit a homerun," he tells me, bobbing his head up and down.

Glancing at my watch, I realize that I'll be late if I don't get a move on.

"I have to go. I'll see you Friday, Charlie."

"Bye Damon," he says, walking away from me.

"When will I see you again?"

"I'll see you Friday when I bring Charlie home. I really need to go," I answer, dropping a kiss to her lips. Once I let go, I walk to the door. After pulling it open, I turn my head to look back at her.

"Goodbye Meredith," I add before stepping outside, pulling the door closed behind me.

* * *

"Damon, stop yawning. It's contagious and our shift is just starting," Monica, one of my co-workers, chastises me when I reach up to cover my mouth.

"I didn't sleep very well last night but I did get a nap in this afternoon," I inform her, stepping behind her to swipe my badge at the time clock.

"Poor baby, did Dr. Fell keep you busy last night?"

"You know it," I reply, flashing her my eye thing.

"You're such a flirt Damon. No wonder your patients like you so much," Monica teases as we walk to our nurses station to get our assignments for the night.

"Here's your patient assignments, Damon," Natalie tells me, handing me a sheet with their names, their doctor, their admission date and lastly their diagnosis. We go from room to room while Natalie gives me report. We tell each other about everything that happened with the patient on that day. We pass on lab and radiology results. One of my patients just returned from surgery and I have an admission coming upstairs from ED as well. Taking a deep breath I realize I'm going to be busy till I get all my assessments and med passes done.

"Mr. Jefferson had a bowel resection and lysis of adhesions today. His NG tube is to low intermittent suction. Dr. Whetherly said he could have ice chips but very sparingly. He left parameters to call for his vitals. Hydralazine IV prn for systolic above 170," she tells me.

"Also we're to do I and O every four hours and to call if his urine output is less than thirty cc per hour. He has morphine ordered for pain as well as scheduled Toradol. He has Phenergan and Zofran ordered for nausea if needed," Natalie continues.

"What about his dressing? Does he want us to change it or reinforce it?"

"Reinforce it. He said he'll change it tomorrow if needed. Oh and he has a JP drain in his right quadrant."

"Hello Mr. Jefferson. My name is Damon and I'll be your nurse for the next twelve hours. Between the nurse's aide and I, we'll try to check on you at least every hour. Please use your call light if you need anything," I tell him. When he nods, Natalie and I step out to go to the next room.

"Lastly we have Miss Gilbert, 25...," I listen as Natalie continues. "Right flank pain, malaise and fevers up to 103 for the last four days. She came up from ED about two hours ago. She has..,"

"Pyelonephritis," I blurt out.

"Yep. Dr. Birch ordered Piperacillin-tazobactam every six hours. She has Tylenol ordered for fevers and Morphine prn for pain. Her medical history is pretty negative. She seems a bit shy because she won't take her bra off. She's pretty miserable," Natalie adds, leading the way into her room to introduce me to her.

Without looking at her face, I walk over to her white board and put my name down as her nurse and Anna's name down as her nurse's assistant.

"This is Damon, he'll be your nurse tonight," Natalie says just as I turn around. My eyes widen at the same time the marker I'm holding falls to the floor. My mouth opens and closes, nothing coming out for several seconds.

"Damon?" Natalie asks, looking at me curiously. Shaking my head, I finally find my voice.

"Elena?"

* * *

 _Thank you for everything Eva. You're the best. Love you so much.. Also I need to thank another lovely lady, Kate for making me the cover for this story. Love you too, my friend._

 _Chapter title: 'Memories' from the musical 'Cats'._

 _I really hope you like this story. I'm working on the final chapter as we speak._

 _I did just update 'What if I was Nothing'. 'The Unforgiven' will update tomorrow. *Tears*, I posted the final chapter of 'Shatter Me' yesterday._

 _*REVIEWS ARE LOVE*.._

 _As always, have a safe and wonderful weekend. Thank you all for coming on this journey with me. Until next time._


	2. As Time Goes By

_It's still the same old story_

 _A fight for love and glory_

 _A case of do or die_

 _The world will always welcome lovers_

 _As time goes by_

* * *

"Damon?" she asks, her voice weak and barely audible. Truth be told, she looks like she's absolutely miserable.

"You two know each other?" Natalie asks, looking at Elena and then at me.

"We used to," I add.

Making eye contact, I robotically continue, "I'll be your nurse tonight, Elena. Do you need anything right now? I see you're due for pain medication in another hour. Put the call light on if you need me."

"I will," she whispers, looking at me for a few more seconds before curling up on her side and closing her eyes. I give her one last look before Natalie and I walk out of her room.

"The air seemed pretty heavy in there, Damon. Are you okay with being her nurse?"

Feeling affronted, I round on her. "Natalie, I am a professional. Of course I can be her nurse for the night."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you," she apologizes.

"No harm done," I add, knowing I need to let it go because we work together. Once I'm done receiving report, I look up when I hear Anna calling my name, telling me that my new admission is here. By the time I'm done with all the paperwork, Anna pops to tell me that the patient in room 834 is asking for some pain medication. After telling Anna that I'll be with Elena shortly, I finish up with Mrs. Thomas. By the time I get into Elena's room, she's retching and looking acutely ill. Almost as if by instinct, I dash over and pull her hair out of the way.

"I'm going to bring you some nausea medicine too," I tell her when she's done vomiting. I take a moment to flush her emesis, hand her back the basin and walk out to get her medication.

Walking swiftly into the medication room, I get the Morphine and Zofran out of the machine and walk back towards her room. Taking a deep breath, I walk back over to her bedside. She looks very sick, her knees are pulled to her chest with her head resting on them. Despite everything that happened between us, I don't want to see her in pain. Feeling the gut twist, I swallow down my nerves. I know I need to maintain a professional atmosphere between us if I'm going to take care of her properly.

After scanning the barcode on her ID bracelet, I then scan the medication. Wiping the port of her IV tubing with alcohol, I screw the luer-lock syringe onto the port so I can inject it. When she looks at me with those big brown, endless, tear-filled eyes, my gut twists even more.

"Thank you," she says softly, laying back down and turning away from me.

"I'll be back to check on you in a little while, Elena. I'll need to listen to your heart and lungs," I explain, walking out of her room only after I see her nod in understanding.

Immediately after leaving the room, I go to the nurses desk so I can call the physician and get some orders for Mrs. Thomas. I put all of the orders into the computer and then gather my supplies so I can start an IV and get her fluids running. Walking into her room, I raise her bed to the right height so I don't have to bend over. Opening up the IV start kit, I pick out the tourniquet, tying it on her arm with a slip knot. As her veins start to bulge, I smile at the garden hoses she has for veins.

"What?" Mrs. Thomas asks smiling.

"If you know any nurses, you know we tend to stare at big veins. We call them nurse porn," I explain, causing her to laugh out loud. Grabbing some alcohol wipes out of my pocket, I tear one open to clean the vein. I choose an eighteen gauge IV needle, hold the skin taut before inserting it bevel up. When I get a blood return, I know the needle is in the vein. I pull the metal out and quickly hook the IV tubing to it. After securing her IV, I turn to her IV pump and set the right rate before lowering her bed.

"Do you need anything right now, Mrs. Thomas?"

"Not now but I'll need my Ambien before I go to sleep," she informs me.

"I do believe Dr. Linder ordered that for you but if not, I'll give him another call. Just put your call light on when you want me to bring it in." She nods then turns her eyes back to the TV.

"Monica, I'm going to go downstairs to get something to eat before the cafeteria closes. I'll be back shortly. All of my patients should be fine for a few minutes," I tell her then step into the stairwell, trotting down the stairs two at a time.

Of all the hospitals in all the world, she has to come to mine, I think to myself as I sit down to take a breather. One day we were incredibly happy and blissfully in love, the next she was gone, leaving only a 'dear john' letter behind.

 _"Elena, I'm home," I call aloud. Setting my things down, I pick up the mail to thumb through it._

 _"Hi," she whispers, wrapping her arms around my neck, lifting a deep, smoldering kiss from my lips. "I love you, Damon."_

 _"And I love you," I tell her, setting the mail down, encircling her waist with my arms. When she raises her eye brows at me demurely, I pick her up and carry her into our bedroom. In no time, our clothes are lying haphazardly on the floor, our bodies already joined together. For some reason she can't seem to get enough of me tonight so not only do I fuck her hard from behind just the way she likes it, I also make love to her, trying to convey my feelings for her with each thrust inside of her. Not long after the two of us fall asleep encased in each other's arms. The next day, I kiss her sweetly and tell her I love her more than life itself before walking out of the door._

 _Not even seventy two hours later she would be gone. Little did I know that moment would be the last time I ever made love to her._

 _On that day, I found her letter after I get home from work, I collapsed, the pain unlike anything I've ever felt before. Vowing then and there never to lose myself in a woman ever again, I picked myself up and threw myself into my job. I worked all the extra hours I could because it afforded me the opportunity to put aside my pain for those few hours._

"Damon?" I hear, snapping me out of the memory.

"Hi Rose. How are things in peds tonight?" I ask, taking a swallow of my soda.

"Busy," she says, sitting down beside me in the cafeteria.

"My floor is pretty full too so I need to get back upstairs. Say hi to Trevor for me," I tell her, standing up to go back to my floor.

"I will. Hope the rest of your shift goes well."

"You too," I reply just as I step into the stairwell.

* * *

"There you are, Damon. The lady in room 834 has the shaking chills and a fever of 103.8. Poor girl, she's really sick," Anna tells me as soon as I walk back on to my unit.

"I need to assess her so I can call the Dr. about her fever. He'll probably want blood and urine cultures. You might as well go ahead and take a specimen container in there. Tell her that I'll be right in."

"Sure thing," Anna replies, grabbing a container to collect some urine next time Elena has to go. I take a moment to wash my hands then walk towards her room, taking a deep cleansing breath before walking in.

"Elena, I need to listen to your heart and lungs. I know you feel lousy but I need to call the doctor about your fever. I have to know before I call him. She's so lethargic, barely nodding before her eyes drop shut.

"Roll on your side for me and take some deep breaths," I instruct her. Her eyes open to a slit but she complies with my instructions.

"In through your nose, out through your mouth," I instruct her.

"Now lay on your back so I can listen to your heart and belly. Does you whole side hurt?" I ask.

"Yes," she replies, her voice so soft I can hardly hear it. She complies, rolling onto her back. I pull her covers back, careful to keep her lady parts covered while I start to pull her gown up so I can listen for her bowel tones. Not wanting to cooperate, she holds her gown down.

"Elena, I just need you to pull it off your abdomen, okay?" Her eyes are cloudy with fever when she stares at me before lowering them and pulling her hospital gown up just far enough for me to place my stethoscope on the four quadrants of her abdomen. When done, I then put my stethoscope at the apex of her chest to listen to her heart as it thrums along at a fast clip, no doubt from her fever.

"I brought you some Tylenol. Take them and then I'm going to give your Dr. a call. Don't get up by yourself. I don't want you to fall and get hurt okay?"

"I won't," she replies, again rolling over so her back is facing me.

"I'll come back in to let you know what the Dr. says."

"Thank you, Damon," she says, her voice very soft.

"Get some rest," I tell her, wanting so bad to touch her and to comfort her. I can't allow myself to go there. Not after what devastation she left in her wake when she walked out on me, on us. I think to myself before walking out of her room.

Once I get orders from her physician, I hang the new antibiotic he ordered plus increase the rate of her IV fluid after which I quietly walk out of her room, pulling her door ajar. Lab also shows up to draw some blood cultures. After Anna helps her into the bathroom, she obtains the urine specimen, sending it to lab through the pneumatic tube system.

I go about my other duties, check in on my other patients and finish hanging my midnight medications before I finally have time sit down to start some charting. By the time I finish with my last chart check, I see 'her' call light go on. Sucking in a breath, I get up, rapping on her door softly before walking into her room. My breath catches when I see the tears leaking from her eyes and down the slope of her cheeks.

"What's the matter Elena?" I ask, walking quickly to her bedside. She shows that her hand is swollen up, her IV having infiltrated. I quickly turn the IV pump off. I'm going to get some supplies so I can put a new one in. You need the fluids." When she looks at me with her doe eyes, the lashes wet from her tears, I nearly melt but I have to keep a stiff upper lip. I won't give her the chance to rip my heart out through my throat a second time. Maintaining my mask of indifference, I walk out of her room to get some supplies, bringing Anna along with me to hold her hand. I know her well enough to know she's terrified of needles.

Raising her bed, I walk to her left side. When I open my IV start kit and start to put the tourniquet on, she pulls her arm away. "Not my left arm," she says firmly but not elaborating any further than that. I must admit that I'm curious as to why she won't let me use that arm. Just going by appearance sake, it looks fine. But if that's what she wants, I won't use it. Setting my stuff on her right side, I give Anna a look and trade places with her. She takes Elena's left hand, talking softly to distract her while I work.

"I'll take your hand IV out after I get the new one in," I tell her. When I see a good vein, I grab another eighteen gauge needle and easily get it the vein. After securing it, I hook up the fluid to her new IV site. She grimaces when I pull the tape off of her hand when I remove the bad IV and replace it with a two by two and some Coban.

"You can take this dressing off later if you want to," I tell her, lowering her bed.

"Thank you Damon," she whispers, her eyes blood shot and still glossy from her tears. The look on her face almost does me in. I smile tersely and walk out of her room. Nearly collapsing once I'm a safe distance from her. Closing my eyes, I steel my emotions, putting them back in the locked box that resides safely within my heart. I won't let her see any weakness. Once my shift is over, I have a few days off. Hopefully she'll be discharged before I have to come back to work.

As the hours pass, I continue to check in on her during the night along with my other patients. I practically drop to my knees in thanks when my shift finally ends so I can get the hell out of here and erase her from my thoughts. After giving report, even though I want to be rid of her, I still can't resist peaking in on her one more time. She's sleeping quietly so I don't disturb her. With any luck, this is the last time I'll have to lay eyes on one Elena Gilbert.

* * *

"Damon, are you home?" Katherine's voice awakens me when I hear her bellow out my name.

"What do you want?" I ask when she knocks on my door, entering before I can say no.

"Did you work last night?"

"Really Katherine? If me being in bed this time of day doesn't give you a clue nothing will," I utter, rolling on my side and pulling my pillow over my head.

"Don't be mean, little brother. I can still beat you up," she threatens, pulling the covers off of me.

"What the hell?" I glare at her, reaching for the covers.

"Oh stop acting like a baby," she chastises me, pulling them from my body again.

"What on God's green earth could be so important that you just had to wake me?" I snap, sitting up at the side of the bed.

"You're going to take me out for supper. You owe me, remember?"

"Oh come on. I don't want to go anywhere. I had a hellish night," I utter, dropping my head.

"Nope you're not getting out of it that easily. Get dressed, I'll wait for you in the dining room," she says, raising her eyebrows at me. Rolling my eyes, I stand up and stumble into the bathroom to shower and get dressed. Without bothering to shave, I throw on a tee shirt and a pair of cargo shorts then walk downstairs.

"You owe me for this one K," I utter, dropping beside her on the couch so I can put my sneakers on. When they're on, I stare at her with my mean face.

"Where are we going anyway?" I ask, turning to face her again once I have my shoes tied.

"To that new Mexican restaurant we wanted to try," she answer, smiling from ear to ear.

"Where's Enzo and why doesn't he take you out so I can go back to bed?"

"He's meeting a couple about wedding flowers," she explains as she stands up.

"Let's go." I follow her outside, locking my door and pulling it closed.

"You're driving," I tell her in no uncertain terms.

"Fine," she says, unlocking the door so I can crawl into the passenger seat. We have to wait about a half hour but we finally get a table. Once the waitress takes our drink orders, we sit back to munch on the chips and salsa that's brought over to our table. Not long after a male server places our watermelon margaritas in front of us and takes our order. I order the chicken fajitas while Katherine orders the fish tacos. Taking a sip of my drink, I savor the taste as it goes down.

"This is really good," I remark, taking another sip.

"I agree," she says, stuffing a bit of her fish taco in her mouth.

"So Katherine, you seem pretty giddy today?" I mention, raising my eyebrows.

"Actually I hired a new literary agent," she begins. "She's also a published author of children's books."

"Children's books?"

"Yes, I've wanted to get into that field for quite some time. The kids books she's written have all been best sellers. There are three of them and she's working on another one but unfortunately she got sick and is in the hospital. I'm going to go to see her tomorrow."

"Really? What's her name?" I ask, taking a bigger swallow of my margarita.

I start coughing and sputtering, having inhaled my drink when she casually mentions the name, ' _Elena Gilbert.'_

"Damon, are you okay?" she asks, jumping out of her chair to slap me on the back. Once I can breathe again, I stare at her.

Wanting to believe my ears are deceiving me, I ask, "What did you say her name was?"

"Elena Gilbert. Why?"

"Just kill me now," I utter, dropping my chin onto my chest.

* * *

 _Thank you so much Eva. I appreciate you so much. I do know that without you, I wouldn't be here._

 _Thank you, all of you, for your enthusiastic response to the first chapter. Especially those of you who took that extra few seconds to leave a review. I'm really happy with the way this one came together._

 _I thought I would give you one more chapter before we settle into a weekly update schedule. The good news is when I was writing the epilogue, it was going to be massive so we decided to make that another chapter. So this will be one chapter longer than we had planned._

 _Since I stole a line from 'Casablanca' which is probably my favorite movie of all time, I decided to honor it by using its theme song, 'As Time Goes By'._

 _*REVIEWS ARE LOVE*_

 _I just got home from work and I am circling the drain as we speak. I hope you all have a phenomenal and safe day. Until next time... night, night dear readers..._


	3. Chemical

_Elena and I are sitting in 'Coors Field' enjoying a baseball game between the Rockies and the Dodgers. My dad is Dodgers fan from way back and so I'm one by default. Elena has never been to a major league baseball game so I wanted to take her. My dad has made the trek from Durango many times. Once in awhile Stefan will drive along with him. I very much enjoy being able to spend an afternoon or evening with him or them at the ballpark._

 _"Teach me," she asks, looping her arm through mine and leaning her head on my shoulder. I smile at her but quickly jump up when I hear the crack of the bat and watch as the ball flies over the left field fence. Placing my fingers in my mouth, I wolf whistle excitedly watching as my player rounds the bases._

 _"Where were we?" I ask._

 _"Teach me," she demands, an adorable pout on her face._

 _"Okay baby, cool your jets. One is the pitcher. Two is the catcher. Three, four and five are the infielders, three being first base and so on. The shortstop is number six. The outfielders are seven, eight and nine, going clockwise. See this K here?" I add, pointing to it. When she nods her understanding, I drop a kiss to her crown before continuing._

 _"The 'K' means a strikeout. A single is 1B and so forth. Of course a homerun is HR. RBI means runs batted in," I continue to explain what all the terms mean as I watch the game, scoring it as we go along so I can show her._

 _"It's not really that complicated," she remarks, smiling at me._

 _"It isn't," I concur, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head._

 _"Can I try?"_

 _"Sure," I reply, handing her my score card. I lean back in my chair, lobbing my arm around her shoulders when I see a shiver. The next batter up, strikes out. I watch as she writes in a 'k'._

 _"Yes," I shout when the batter that follows hits a double. I glance down at her as she writes in 2B._

 _"That's it baby," I tell her. By the time the game is over, she hands me back the completed scorecard. "A+" I tell her, pulling her close to press a kiss to her lips._

 _"Let's go. It's going to take us awhile to get out of here, given the crowd. Nodding, I lace her fingers with mine as we wait our turn to get out of the stadium._

"Coach," I hear, snapping me out of that memory.

"What is it Nate?" I ask, giving him my full attention.

"We have two out and two on base. Are you going to send in a pinch hitter for Charlie?" he asks. I like Charlie a lot. He's Meredith's son but I have to put the team's needs ahead of Charlie's in this situation. I give Nate a nod and then call for Charlie to come over to me.

"Hey buddy. I'm going to have Nate pinch hit for you. Do you understand?" I feel bad when he looks down, kicking his feet in the dirt floor of our dugout.

"I understand," he mumbles under his breath without bothering to look up at me.

"Hey," I say to him, using my index finger to raise his chin so he has to look up and pay attention to me.

"There's something to be said about being a good sport, okay?" Smiling tightly, he nods then goes to sit down on the bench. Exhaling, I put my hands on my hips and turn my attention back to the ballgame. Nate steps in for Charlie and hits a triple into the right field corner. John and Tyler round the bases scoring on the hit. We now lead the game 4 to 3. Our next batter strikes out, ending the inning.

"Defense guys," I clap as my players run back onto the baseball diamond. My pitcher, Tommy is grooving his pitches in today, striking out two of the Jackrabbits and the third batter hits a ground ball up the middle of the infield. My second baseman, Jimmy one hands it, throwing it to Michael at first for the out. One more inning to go if we can maintain our one run lead.

Tony, Kirk and Michael take their turns in the batter's box. Michael being the only one who makes it to first base. Tommy then steps up to the plate. The opposing pitcher throws the ball in high and tight, hitting Tommy on the shoulder. I run out of the dugout to make sure he's okay. After he assures me that he's fine, I go back into the dugout while he walks over to first base. Michael then trots over to second. Johnny steps into the batters box now. He's thrown a low hanging curve ball which Johnny proceeds to knock out of the ballpark giving us a four run advantage going into the bottom of the ninth. Once our half inning is over, I pull the guys together to give them a little pep talk.

"We have a four run lead now, guys. We only need three outs then we'll win the game." Holding my hands in front of me, they all do the same and together we shout, "Go Coyotes." Then the guys take the field for the Jackrabbits final at bat.

"Pizza is on me if we win the game," I shout, once again clapping, hoping to keep them on their toes. When I look to my side, I see Charlie sitting on the bench, head hung while swinging his feet back and forth.

"Hey," I say loud enough for him to look up.

"None of that feeling sorry for yourself. We're a team and we play together as a team. Do you understand?" I chastise him gently.

"Sorry coach," he says, standing up, walking over to stand beside me. When I nod my approval, he smiles and starts clapping and cheering for the team right along with me. Once we win the game, my guys line up to congratulate the other team. I want my kids to learn and practice good sportsmanship above all else. Of course I want us to win but I want them to both win and lose graciously.

When all is said and done, the boys help me pick up our bats, balls and batting helmets to stow in the back of my SUV. After agreeing to meet up with everyone at the pizza place, Charlie and I get in my car. I take a moment to text Meredith to tell her what we're up to so she doesn't worry about him.

"Good game," I tell him, ruffing up his hair a bit.

"But you took me out," he pouts, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Charlie, we talked about that. I don't like this attitude," I tell him, not taking my eyes off the road.

"But Damon...,"

"But Damon nothing. We talked about this. You don't belong to team of one, you belong to a team of many. No more of this behavior," I tell him firmly, turning to look at him when I have to brake at a stop sign. He doesn't say anything, he just looks straight ahead. I reach over to softly turn his head towards me.

"Are we clear, Charlie?"

"Yeah, we're clear," he says, turning away from me to look out the window when I put my foot on the gas again. Once we arrive and he joins his friends and teammates, he loses the attitude. I order the pizza and soda while Michael's dad gives them some tokens to play the games since he owns the joint. It's nearly five in the afternoon by the time I get him home. Just as Charlie reaches up to turn the doorknob, Meredith pulls it open, bending over to kiss his sweaty hair.

"Go clean up Charlie. Your dad is going to pick you up for an overnight," she tells him.

"Goodie," he squeals and takes off.

"Bye Damon," he yells, his back to me as he runs up the stairs.

"Can you come in?" she asks me.

"I can't tonight, Mer. I'm meeting Ric and Enzo at the pub."

"But Damon, you work tomorrow," she whines and as much as I like her, it's really unattractive. I know full well who Charlie gets the attitude from.

"I'm sorry Meredith. I do have a life apart from you," I tell her, trying to be diplomatic.

"I'll give you a call," I tell her, stepping closer to drop a heady kiss to her lips.

"Mmm," she mumbles, looping her arms around me, deepening the kiss. Needing air, I pull back.

"I really have to go now. Bye," I tell her, dropping one more quick kiss to her cheek before turning around and walking back to my car.

* * *

After dropping Charlie off, I go home to get cleaned up. I put on a clean pair of jeans and a v necked tee shirt. Glancing at my watch, I realize it's only six thirty so I sit down on my recliner and turn TV on for a little bit. Feeling tired, I close my eyes, drifting off to sleep in minutes.

 _"Do you know Elena Gilbert?" Katherine asks me._

 _"I used to know an Elena Gilbert," I tell her, closing my eyes, losing myself in my memories._

 _"Damon, it's so beautiful here," she replies as we drive through Rocky Mountain National Park north of Denver. After parking the car, the two of us get out. I go into the trunk to grab her hooded sweat shirt, tossing it at her before slipping my own on. We're at the Long's Peak visitor's area, hoping to get something to eat. Despite the fact that it's early June, there is snow on the ground and the wind is blowing. The elevation of Longs Peak is 14,250 feet. We've seen elk and marmosets. I also could've sworn I saw a bobcat running across a snowfield. Elena is crazy about the wildflowers especially the forget-me- nots that populate the tundra areas of the park._ _Taking her hand in mine, we walk into the visitor's center to look at the exhibits._

 _"I'm going to take your picture when we head go back to the car," I tell her, dropping a quick kiss to her lips. We spent the afternoon in the park before continuing our trip into Estes Park. Elena wants to see the infamous Stanley Hotel which was the setting for the movie, 'The Shining'. It's supposed to be haunted. We're spending the night. Once we get our room and put our suitcase inside, we lock up and start walking into town, browsing through the little shops. Elena falls in love with a Larimar necklace. It's a milky sky blue stone, prettier than turquoise that's found only in the Dominican Republic. After paying the clerk, she raises her hair so I can slip it around her neck letting it nestle between the valley of her breasts._

 _"I'm going to make love to you later. You're only going to wear this," I tease, my voice husky with desire. Fingering the stone, I flash her my eye thing before encircling her in my arms, pulling her flush against me._

Hearing my phone's ring tone awakens me. Clicking it on, I hear, "Damon?"

"Hey Ric," I reply, sitting up in my chair.

"Are you coming?" he asks.

"Yeah," I answer, flying out of the chair when I notice what time it is.

"I must've dozed off. I'll be there in a few. Thanks for calling, Ric." I tell him before hanging up the phone. I quickly grab my jacket and run outside, jumping into my car. By the time I get to the bar, it's nearly eight forty five.

"You look like crap, Damon," my brother in law, Enzo greets me, shoving a beer in front of me when I take a seat beside him.

"Katherine said to tell you that Stefan and Caroline are driving in next weekend. She wants you to try to trade shifts if you work."

"Ugh, why does she always wait till the last minute to spring this stuff on me," I ask, dropping my head.

"Because that's how my wife operates," he chuckles, giving me a nudge.

"You think I don't know that? I've lived with her longer than you," I laugh, shaking my head.

"She mentioned that you had a weird reaction when she told you about the new writer she recruited."

Raising two fingers to form a cross, I signal him to back off.

"I don't want to talk about her."

"Okay then," he says, picking up his pilsner glass to take swallow of beer.

"Ricky," I utter when he takes the stool beside me.

"You called me for being late and you weren't here yourself," I ask, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I know. Jenna and I were a little preoccupied," he says, with a wink and a smile.

"TMI Ric," I utter, sticking my tongue out.

"Oh stop," he scoffs. "As if you never brag about your love life."

"That's because it's me," I laugh, taking a big swallow from my own mug of beer.

"It must be nice to sit on this side of the bar for once," I mention, turning to look at Ric.

"It is. Sometimes I like to spend a little time with my buddies on the other side of the bar," he laughs, nodding his head.

Raising my glass, I clink both Enzo's and Ric's.

"Here's to good friends," I toast, taking a big swallow of my drink.

The three of us hang out most of the evening. I've had a little too much to drink so I take a cab home. The bar owner is a friend of ours so he says it's okay to leave my car overnight. After assuring him that I'll pick it up in the morning, I tell him goodnight and hop in my cab. When I get home, I pay the guy then walk into my house, pushing the door closed and slide down to the floor.

Why did she have to come back into my life and turn me inside out again? She's even more beautiful than I remembered. Dropping my head into my hands, I just sit there for a long time wondering how I'm going to come to grips with all of this. I sit here for ten minutes or so before walking up the stairs and into my room. Pulling a dresser drawer open, I dig through my sock drawer till I find it, tucked safely away at the back of the drawer. I run my fingers over the blurry ink, rendered illegible from the tears I shed at that time.

After holding it to my heart for as long as it takes to inhale a deep shuddering breath, I carefully put it back in its hiding place and pull out a picture of the two of us. We're snuggled together that day at Rocky Mountain National Park. Another tourist was kind enough to snap our picture. She's looking at me with so much love in her eyes. It's hard to believe she could do what she did just a few months after this picture was taken. I press a kiss to it and then safely stow it away for moments like these when I still miss her so much that I literally hurt inside.

I don't know why she's back but somehow, someway I'm going to find out why she left. I care about Meredith quite a lot actually but it's Elena who still holds my heart. I can't give it to someone else when I gave it away for good a long time ago. When I look at the clock, I notice it's nearly two in the morning. I work tonight so I better get in bed. Walking into the bathroom, I strip out of my clothes and step into the shower. I lay my palms flat against the tile as I let the water pummel my body into submission. When her presence fills my mind, I collapse against the shower wall, willing my tears not to fall.

* * *

Stepping off the elevator, I walk towards my unit, stopping only at the time clock to swipe in.

"Hi Damon. Did you have a nice weekend?" Monica asks, handing me my assignment. Glancing over my patients names, my eyes widen imperceptibly when I see that Elena's name is still there.

"Thanks," I forgot to grab my stethoscope out of my backpack. I'll be right back," I tell her. Shuddering while closing my eyes, I need to steel my spine once more so I can do my job and give her the best care I can give, no less than I would any other patient. I love being an RN. My original goal was to become a doctor but when I got a job as a nurses aide while in college, I really came to love the hands on care that only nurses can give. After being accepted into the nursing program, I gave up my pre-med studies, only continuing with what I needed to get my nursing degree.

Walking back out to the desk, I step beside my buddy Matt who's a nurse's aide. He's a really good guy, he's older than me by a couple of years having just decided to go back to school to get his nursing degree as well. I gave him a letter of recommendation when he applied to the nursing program. We were both happy when he got his acceptance letter.

"Are we going to have a good night, Matt?" I ask, letting out a breath.

"Absolutely we are," he agrees before walking off to get report from the day shift nurse's aide.

"Are you ready for report, Damon?" Misty asks when she walks over to me.

"I'm ready," I reply, following her from room to room till finally we get to 834 aka Elena's room. Sucking it up, I walk in confidently right behind Misty.

"Elena, this is Damon. He'll be your nurse tonight. His patients love him, he'll take excellent care of you," Misty tells her, smiling.

"Hello Elena," I greet her, walking over the white board to write my name down for her.

"Damon," she says softly.

"How are you feeling? You were a pretty sick puppy the last time I took care of you."

"I'm still running fevers. Dr. Birch is going to take me to surgery tomorrow," she tells me. I can see the fear in her eyes. All I want to do is take her into my arms and calm her fears but professionally and personally I can't go there.

"She's developed some hematuria and will be having a cystoscopy tomorrow. She's to be NPO after midnight. Her fevers have been mostly in the evening," Misty explains.

"How's your pain, Elena? Is it better than it was the other night?" I ask her, not wanting her to be in pain.

"It's still there but it's better," she says, her voice soft but I can hear the fear echoed in it.

"She has a massive kidney infection. Dr. Birch switched her to Vancomycin because the Zosyn and the Rocephin weren't cutting it. She has a vanc-trough ordered before her next dose," Misty goes on.

"That's a lab draw, Elena. They check the vancomycin level in your blood. One of our pharmacists doses the medication based on what your level is. That's why we watch your renal function tests too. Some drugs are hard on the kidneys," I explain to her.

"Thank you, Damon," Elena says and I can tell by the look in her eyes that she means every word.

"I'll be back in a little later. I need to get report on my other patients," I tell her then follow Misty out of the room, although what's left of my heart stays in that very room with Elena. As the clock strikes midnight, I walk into her room, sucking in a breath when she looks at me with tear filled eyes.

"What's wrong Elena? Are you in pain?" Shaking her head no, she reaches up to wipe her tears, dropping her eyes.

"I'm scared," she whispers. Pressing my hands to my face, I rub my eyes a couple of times before looking at her again.

"You don't have to be scared. A cystoscopy is a fairly simple operation. They just take a scope and look inside your bladder, hoping to find the reason why your urine is bloody."

Nodding, my heart flip flops inside my chest when her face scrunches up as more tears leak from her eyes. Although I keep a safe distance from her, I look into her eyes and practically plead with her to stop crying.

"Don't cry. You know what that does to me."

"I didn't know that you worked here. I didn't want to cause you anymore pain," she whispers, reaching for a tissue.

"Elena, now is not the time for this. I don't know if there ever will be a time but right now my job is take care of you. Once you leave here, we won't have to see each other anymore. I have to keep things professional between us while you're here okay?"

"I understand," she burbles.

"Alright then. It's just after midnight. Do you want a drink of water before I have to take it away?" Without saying anything, she picks up her pitcher and swallows what's left in it. I take it from her, dump the ice out and set it back down on her bedside table. After checking her IV site and everything, I tell her goodnight and walk out of the room. Fortunately the rest of the night is uneventful. Surgery calls me at five thirty to tell me they're coming up to take Elena in about a half an hour. I quickly complete her pre op checklist except for her vital signs. I grab her six am dose of antibiotic and start to go to her room, grabbing a dinamap on the way so I can get her vitals quickly.

She's sound asleep when I walk in. I quickly hang the antibiotic. Closing my eyes, I take a breath then gently jostle her arm. The familiar feeling of electricity surges through my body like it always did whenever I touched her soft skin.

"Elena, wake up. I need to get your vitals. They'll be here to take you to surgery shortly."

"Damon?" she asks, yawning deeply.

"Yeah, it's me." I grab the blood pressure cuff to wrap on her left arm, looking perplexed when she says no.

"Not that arm," she says but doesn't explain. Walking around to the other side of her bed, I pause her IV pump and wrap the cuff around her right arm. Using the temporal thermometer I check her temp.

"Afebrile this morning," I smile. Then I clip the pulse oximeter on her finger writing down the reading. Once I get a blood pressure reading, I take it off of her arm.

"Do you need anything right now, Elena?"

"No," she whispers. I can see that her eyes are full of tears before she rolls onto her side away from me. Just as I'm about to say something to her, one of the pre-op RN's walks into her room.

"Are you Elena?" she asks, reaching for Elena's identification band.

"Yes," she replies, her voice sounding fearful although it's a tone that only I recognize.

"Elena, you'll need to take off your necklace," I tell her when I see the chain on her neck. The pendant drops between her breasts, shrouded by her gown. She raises her eyes to me, reaching up to unclasp it. When she pulls it out from under gown, internally I gasp when I see that it's not one but two pendants. One is the Larimar pendant I bought her in Estes Park. The other is a tiny diamond-encrusted key that I bought, signifying that it'll always be her who holds the key to my heart.

"I'll put it in a safe place," I reassure her, taking it in my hands. I walk out of the room to quickly chart her vitals. When I come back she's on the gurney, ready to be taken to surgery. As if by instinct, I take her hand.

"You'll be fine, Elena. They'll take good care of you. I'll get a container and put your necklace in your bedside stand okay?" As she shakes her head, the nurses start to push her cart towards the elevator to go downstairs to pre op. She won't let go of my hand till we're forced to. I smile tightly, looking away only when the elevator door closes ending the moment. Needing to take a moment to decompress, I walk into the nurses lounge. Fortunately it's empty. I drop into a chair, clutching her necklace tightly in my hand.

"God Elena, why did you have to come back into my life?" I whisper to myself, dropping my face into my hands as the weight of everything we lost crashes into me all at once.

* * *

 _For those of you who are concerned, I can promise you that Elena is NOT dying._

 _Thank you Eva. You're my co-pilot and dear friend._

 _Title: 'Chemical' by_ _'Kerli'._

 _Thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing. They do spur me to keep writing. Please do click on that *review button.*_

 _Please take a look at my other stories. 'The Unforgiven' and 'What if I was Nothing' have already updated this weekend. Also I have several completed stories in my profile._

 _I hope you all have a safe and wonderful weekend. Thank you all again for your endless support. Until next time._


	4. How You Remind Me

When the alarms go off, I groggily sit up at the bedside. I didn't sleep well knowing that Elena still wears those necklaces. Sucking my lower lip in between my teeth, I'm just at a loss. I was a lot like the man behind the curtain in ' _The Wizard of Oz'._ I wore the mask well but on the inside, I was completely broken when she left me, left us. My family had no idea that I was hurting so deeply inside. My big brother Stefan had some idea of what I was going through. His one time girlfriend Olivia did the same thing to him but those two were never as serious as Elena and I were. Still he was hurting and I tried to be there for him.

My family lives in western Colorado. My parents have a ranch in the Durango area. It's so pretty there. Maybe some day I'll go back. I'd love to build a log home in the mountains. My dad watches the property listings just in case an acreage would come on the market. Dad and mom built our house before the three of us were born. I love their log home. My bedroom is the loft which afforded me a great deal of privacy. My childhood was almost idyllic. Katherine is the oldest followed by Stefan and then me. The three of us have always been and are still pretty tight.

Katherine and her husband, Enzo moved to Denver a couple of years ago so she could start her own literary agency. She's doing really well. At first Enzo was content to stay at home with their daughter Hannah. Once she started school, Enzo found a job with a florist and knew that's what he wanted to do. They found a space in one of the local malls and he sells his flowers from there. He's been really successful. Katherine tells me that they're saving up so he can buy a stand alone store. That way they can quit shelling out a lot of their profit, paying rent to the corporation that owns the mall property. Stefan lives in Silverton, Colorado which is pretty close to our parent's home. The backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in that neck of Colorado is gorgeous. Although Yellowstone is my favorite place on the planet, I love the part of Colorado that I grew up in. I wanted to take Elena to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons one day but sadly that day never arrived.

I wanted to live and work in the big city so I packed everything up and moved to Denver to go to college. That's where Elena and I met. She was studying creative writing and I was taking pre-med classes. We were together for nearly two years. I knew she was it for me till I came home one morning only to find the letter she left behind. Although I'll never tell her, she still holds my heart. It'll always be her so I don't know if I'll ever find someone else that I truly want to share my life with. I do like Meredith. We get along well enough. The sex is good, not blistering like it was with Elena but it's satisfying. I know she wants more of a commitment from me but if I'm being honest with myself, I know she'll never take Elena's place.

I really like spending time with Charlie. Since I love baseball, I volunteered to be a little league coach. Charlie wanted to play after I took him to the batting cage at the park a few times. He's a good kid. He has a pretty good relationship with his dad, Mason. Meredith has never told me why the two of them split up. I haven't failed to notice that things do seem tense between them when they're together or when Mason picks up Charlie for a weekend. He usually comes to our ballgames. I don't know where he was this last weekend though. Charlie mentioned something about his dad having a new girlfriend?

After showering, I put on a clean uniform, grab my backpack and leave for work. I park my car and dash into the building. I didn't realize it was so close to check in time. I swipe in my badge with a minute to spare. I throw my stuff on one of the chairs in the lounge, grab my stethoscope and head out to the nurse's desk. I suck in a breath when I see that once again Elena is my patient. Raising my eyes, I can't help but think that someone up there doesn't like me very much.

"Are you ready to get report, Damon? All your patients are the same from last night so I really just need to give you updates. Is that okay with you?"

"Yep, I saved my sheet from last night," I reply, pulling it out of my pocket. I staple last nights to todays so I don't have to recopy all my notes. The two of us go to the patient's room while Natalie gives me a rundown of their day. Finally we reach Elena's room. I'm taken aback slightly when the two of us walk into her room only to find Katherine sitting at Elena's bedside. I also don't miss the fact that Elena has the chain hanging securely around her neck again.

"Hello Katherine, Elena," I say aloud to get their attention. I look up when I hear Elena gasp. Her eyes looking panicked as they dart between me and my sister.

"Damon, hi. I didn't know you were Elena's nurse?" Katherine remarks, raising her eyes to mine after giving Elena a curious look.

"I am. Katherine, do you mind stepping out for a minute while Natalie updates me on her day?" I ask her, giving her a look.

"Of course. I'll come back in when I see them come out," she says to Elena, squeezing her hand gently.

"Thank you," Elena tells her, her voice timid sounding.

"Elena had a cystoscopy today. She has hemorrhagic cystitis. The Dr. said the bleeding should clear up soon. As you can see, he started her on continuous bladder irrigation," Natalie points out as I set my clipboard down to hang a new bag of saline as the current one is nearly empty.

"Dr. Birch said if her urine is clear, he'll discontinue her foley tomorrow," Natalie tells me before turning to Elena to ask her about her pain. When she complains that her pain is at a level six, I tell her that I'll bring her in something if she's due when we're done with report.

"She needs to go for a walk yet this evening. She hasn't been up since she got back from surgery," Natalie adds.

"Elena, once I get my first med pass done, we're going to get you out of bed and take a short stroll okay?" She nods before dropping her eyes again.

"I'll send Katherine back in," I tell her then walk out of the room behind Natalie. I walk over to the visitor's lounge where I find Katherine sitting alone, texting someone with her phone.

"Who ya talking to?" I ask, nonchalantly.

"Just Hannah. She wants me to stop at Dairy Queen on the way home. Apparently your niece is hungry for a blizzard," she chuckles.

"I just came to tell you that you could go back into Elena's room now." She finishes her text, stuffs her phone into her pocket then stands up.

"So little brother, did you know Elena before now? I mean given your reaction when you took me to dinner the other night and the shocked look on Elena's face when you said my name," she asks, staring at me pointedly.

"I knew her a long time ago but I don't have time to get into it now. I need to get to work. Tell Hannah hi for me okay?"

"Okay then," she replies, raising her eyebrows at me curiously.

"I've got to go. Drive carefully when you leave," I tell her before walking back to my nurses station.

* * *

"Are you ready to get out of bed for a little bit, Elena?" I ask when I get to her bedside. When she looks at me with those endless doe eyes of her, It takes everything in me not to fling a colorful metaphor.

"Are you sure it's necessary?" she asks, her voice timid.

"Positive. Your doctor wants you out of bed. I reach for her legs, swinging them gently over the side of the bed before offering her my hand so I can help her sit upright. Her eyes roll a little when she sits up. It doesn't take a genius to see that she's dizzy.

"Slow, deep breaths," I tell her, rubbing her back softly. I pick up her nurse button and push it to get some help in here. In moments, Anna walks into the room.

"Did you need something, Damon?" she asks, coming to stand beside me.

"Yes. Elena needs to get up but she's dizzy. I want you to hold onto the foley and push the IV pump so I can hang onto her."

"Gotcha," she says, slipping a pair of gloves on before unhooking Elena's foley from the bedside. I take a few seconds to unhook the CBI so we don't have to push two poles along with us.

"Do you have a robe?" I ask her. When she points to the closet, I pull a plaid fluffy one out. It's the robe that I gave her. Fingering the soft material, my thoughts deceive me, sending me back in time.

 _"Damon, it's beautiful and so soft," she exclaims, holding the robe up to bury her face in the fleecy material._

 _"What's the occasion?" she asks, her smile wide._

 _"No occasion. When I touched it, I knew you'd love it," I tell her, leaning forward to steal a blistering kiss from her lips._

 _"I love you so much, Damon," she gushes, looping her arms around my neck, pulling my lips to hers once again._

"Damon?" I hear Anna say aloud. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I say, my back to her. Taking the robe off the hanger, I drape it over Elena's shoulders, securing the tie around her belly. After helping her to stand, I hang onto her tightly when she starts to sway a little bit. Again I feel the crackles rocket through my body, originating in the grip that I'm holding onto her hand with.

"I've got you, Elena. I won't let you fall," I reassure her. I offer her my hand and put my other around her waist. Once she nods she's ready, the three of us walk out of the room and down the hall a short distance. She's light as a feather and I can feel her ribs so I know she's lost quite a bit of weight since the time we were together. As much as I don't want to care, I still worry about her.

When she starts to tire, Anna and I help her back to her room. Once we get her settled back in bed, I hook her CBI back up when I see her urine is still a little bloody but less so than when I started my shift.

"Do you want something for pain, Elena?" I ask.

"Please," she says softly, fingering her pendants through the fabric of her gown. I walk out and go to the med room to get her some morphine. I walk back in, injecting it slowly. In seconds, her eyes drop closed. I cover her up, check her IV pump, change the CBI bag then step out of her room, pulling the door ajar behind me.

* * *

"I need one of those badly," I announce to Ric, taking a seat at his bar.

"You look like hell. When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?" he asks, sliding a bottle of beer to me.

"I saw her, Ric. Hell I've even had to be her nurse for three shifts," I spill, picking up the bottle and taking a big slog of it.

"Who...?" he asks, looking perplexed.

"Tell me Ric, who do you think would send me into such a tailspin?" I snap, my voice full of sarcasm.

"Elena...? Elena's here?" he asks incredulously, his eyes wide.

"She's here and she's working for Katherine," I add, shaking my head before taking another big gulp from my bottle.

"I never thought I'd see her again. And I certainly never thought that she'd turn me inside out again, not after everything. I can't let her back in, Ric. I just can't," I blurt out, hoping for some understanding.

"You still love her don't you?" Ric mentions, staring at me.

"No, of course not," I deny, lying smoothly.

"Bullshit," he throws back at me.

"Don't Ric," I warn, my temper starting to flare.

"Fine," he remarks, raising his arms in surrender.

"Have you told Meredith?"

Trying to stifle an eye roll, I look at him incredulously. "Of course not. Why would I do that? She's too clingy the way it is. If I tell her about Elena, it'll be clingy on steroids."

"I thought you liked her?"

"I do like her. I like her a lot but...," I utter, my voice drifting.

"Well buddy, if she's working with Katherine, you will be seeing her. You're going to have to decide what it is that you want," he points out wisely, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I know I don't want her back. Not after everything," I tell him firmly, my tone leaving no room for a witty retort from him.

Shaking his head, he hands me another bottle of beer before walking to the other end of the bar to take care of another customer.

* * *

When I feel something on my cheek, I wake up only to find Meredith smiling at me as she fingers and caresses my face.

"It's really early yet. I'm sorry I woke you but last night was, wow...," she gushes at my bedroom prowess.

"Mmm," I reply, dropping a kiss to the tip of her nose.

"Let's go back to sleep," I tell her, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Do you want to sleep or...," she asks with a twinkle in her eye when her hand clamps around that part of my anatomy that lies south of my belly button.

"Meredith," I moan, rolling onto my back as she takes care of my needs, my mind focusing only on the pleasure she's giving me. When we finish, I get up to use the bathroom. I grab onto the edge of the sink and drop my chin onto my chest. Once I finish, I crawl back into bed. Although she wants to snuggle, I turn my back to her because I sleep better on my right side. I feel her wrap her arm around my middle, spooning me from behind. It's late and it doesn't take long for me to drift into a dream-filled sleep.

 _"God Elena, it gets better every time. How is that even possible?" I pant, coming down from my high. Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her against my chest._

 _"I love you so much." I whisper, pressing kisses to her hair._

 _"And I love you, more than you'll ever know," she says, turning around in my arms so she can look into my eyes. Reaching up, she fingers the hair off of my forehead before leaning up on her elbow to suck my lips into a scorching kiss. When we pull apart, I reach behind me to grab the little blue box that I had hidden in the top drawer of my bedside stand._

 _"This is for you," I whisper, pressing a kiss to her head as I hand it to her. Her mouth drops agape when she looks at what's inside. It's a Roberto Coin diamond encrusted tiny little key._

 _"Damon, it's beautiful. Put it on me," she asks, handing the delicate chain to me. She sits up and raises her hair so I can slip it around her neck. Once I secure the clasp, she drops her hair and snuggles into me again._

 _"What's the occasion?" she asks, staring into my eyes, her own full of love._

 _"You will always own my heart, Elena. Only you will ever hold the key," I whisper, pulling her close before finally letting my eyes close as I drop off to sleep._

When I wake up with her name on my lips, I look around, thankful that Meredith is no longer beside me in the bed.

* * *

 _As much as he doesn't want to be, Damon is still smitten._

 _Thank you Eva for everything. Love you lots. I'm really excited for this story to unfold for all of you._

 _Title: 'How You Remind Me' by 'Nickelback'_

 _Both 'What if I Was Nothing' and 'The Unforgiven' have already updated this weekend. Please give them a look._

 _Thank you for all of your support, favorites, follows and especially those of you who took that extra few seconds to leave a review. I hope you all have a safe and fabulous day and week ahead. Until next time..._


	5. One

# _DelenaAreEternal_

* * *

Fortunately by the next time I go back to work, Elena has been discharged. Thank Christ, I think to myself, sighing heavily in relief. My night is uneventful and for that I'm grateful. Meredith is the hospitalist working tonight so she'll probably stop on my floor to say hello before the night is over. After getting all of my midnight antibiotics started, I sit down at the nurses desk to start doing my chart checks.

And speaking of the devil, when I hear my name I look up to see Meredith standing in front of me.

"Hello Dr. Fell," I reply since we have to maintain an air of professionalism when we're at the hospital.

"I came to see Mrs. Crockett. I need to examine her and enter some orders in the computer."

"She hasn't arrived from ED yet. Maybe you can catch her down there?" I suggest, my eyes on hers.

"Oh, I thought she'd be up here by now. It's been quite awhile since the ED called to tell me that they were admitting her."

"I don't know what the hold up is but they haven't called report yet either."

"Maybe they got busy with something more pressing," she remarks, exhaling a puff of air. Nodding at her, I turn back to the computer.

"Okay then. I'm going to go downstairs. Call me if you need anything."

"I will." Since no one else is at the nurses desk, she gives me a wink before walking off of my patient care area.

* * *

"Damon? What are you doing here?" Enzo asks when I wander into his flower store.

"I thought I'd get some flowers for Meredith. I haven't exactly been attentive to her lately." Looking around at all the pretty flower arrangements that are available, I have no idea which to choose.

"What did you have in mind? If you don't like anything in there," he says, using his outstretched hand to gesture to the flowers arrangements that are in the cooler.

"I could make you up something?" he adds, staring at me.

"I know she likes calla lilies and spider mums whatever they are?" I utter, raking my hand through my hair.

"Well, do you see anything you like?"

"Not really feeling it, Enzo. I mean they're all pretty but none of them speak to me if that makes any sense?" I explain. Seeing my frustration, he just starts to chuckle.

Laughing at me, he shakes his head before focusing on me again. "Have a seat. I'll make something up for you."

"Katherine told me that you had her friend, Elena, as a patient?"

After clearing my throat, I turn to him and nod.

"Katherine mentioned that you knew her before?" he asks, not looking up from what he's doing.

"I don't want to talk about her. She's no longer a part of my life." After shaking my head in frustration, I raise my hand, gesturing for him to stop when he opens his mouth to reply.

"But she's a very talented and successful writer, not to mention the fact that she is quite a looker?"

"Look Enzo, I just... The girl I once knew, her beauty both inside and out was unparalleled. That was until she walked out of my house and out of my life without so much as a backward glance," I explain, staring at nothing for a few seconds.

"Oh," he replies, his mouth agape. "So you were involved with her?"

"Yeah," I say, my voice soft.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No Enzo. Elena is not a topic of conversation that I care to indulge in. I'm with Meredith now," I add. Raising his hands in surrender, he smiles tightly then finishes up the arrangement he's working on for me.

After he puts a ribbon on the vase, he gestures at it with his hands, "Does it meet your approval?"

"Yep. How much do I owe you?"

"Since you're my brother in law, I'll give you discount. That'll be thirty five dollars and fifty two cents," he tells me, ringing up my purchase on the cash register.

"You coming to the picnic Sunday?" he asks as I shove my wallet back into my pants pocket.

"We'll be there," I reply then pick up my purchase and head out of Enzo's shop. As I walk out, I go towards to cafe court to get something to drink from Starbucks. After ordering my java chip frappuccino, I take a seat and look around. My breath hitches when I see _her_ , sitting alone pen in hand as she writes. She has her reading glasses on and god damn, she's still so perfect. I hear my name called so I stand up to grab my drink. Summoning my nerve, I start to walk towards her, stopping in my tracks when I see a guy hand her a drink and then take a seat beside her. Her smile is still as radiant as the sunrise. Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I turn around and walk away.

* * *

"CODE BLUE: ROOM 818, CODE BLUE: ROOM 818, blares on the overhead speaker as I begin chest compressions on my patient. In seconds, Meredith runs into the room along with respiratory therapy, lab, the ICU nurses and the hospital coordinator. I grab the defibrillator patches and place them on her chest, stepping back when Meredith yells clear.

"Crank it up to 300 joules," she instructs, pressing the defibrillator against Mrs. Jennings chest. I never fail to cringe just a bit when I watch a body react to the surge of electricity.

"Give an amp of epi," Meredith instructs, as she intubates the patient then steps aside so RT can attach the ambu bag to the ET tube so he can ventilate our patient.

"We have a rhythm," I say aloud.

"Start an amiodarone drip. Do we have an ICU bed?" I ask the hospital coordinator when she walks back into the room.

"I just talked to her husband. He's on his way. Let's get her downstairs, ICU room 254," she says as we work together to get the bed out of the room so we can get her to the unit stat.

"Someone call the elevator," I say loudly as we're getting the bed out of the doorway. I go with my patient so I can give report to the ICU nurse that will be taking over Mrs. Jennings care. After going over her health history and the events leading up to the code blue, I step into the stairwell to go back upstairs to finish my shift.

"Good work, Damon," Meredith remarks, stepping into the stairwell just as I pull my floor door open. She pushes me against the wall quickly, palming my face with her hands, pulling me in for a heady kiss. I swallow thickly when she lets go.

"We can't do this here. You know this," I chastise her gently.

"I know. I just couldn't resist," she says with a wink. After lifting one more quick kiss from my lips, she smiles before running down the stairs to get to the ICU. I suck in a deep breath then step back onto my unit.

"Good job, Damon," my charge nurse tells me.

"Thanks Maggie. I'm just going to take a couple of minutes to decompress okay? I won't be long," I tell her then walk into the nurses lounge and sit down. The adrenaline is still at peak level so I go into the bathroom and throw a little water on my face. When I do, my mind takes me back in time, once more focusing on ' _her'_.

 _"What the hell," I yell when my face is pummeled by spouts of water she's squirting with her water gun._

 _"Don't tell me that big bad Damon is going to behave like a little girl?" she goads, squirting me some more._

 _"You're going to pay for that," I warn, marching towards her as she continues to aim her toy at me. Just as I'm about to raise my hands to take it out of hers, she screams and runs behind a tree. Although she's practically cackling, she raises her gun again, this time aiming at my mid section._

 _"Oh you're going to pay for that, Miss Gilbert," I tease as I march towards her, grabbing a hold of the weapon and turning it on her. She screeches as she tries to cover herself with her arms. When I finish soaking her, I drop the toy and pull her into my arms. Although both of us are drenched, I finger the wet strands of her hair off of her face then plaster my lips to hers in a white hot scorching kiss. Breathlessly we pull back, staring into each others eyes. She loops her arms around my shoulders and uses her fingers to play with the hairs at the back of my neck._

 _"I love you, Damon Salvatore," she whispers, raising up to capture my lips once more, the promise of forever evident in the way she kisses me._

* * *

"Come on Hannah, hit the ball," I yell from my team's dugout.

"Damon, you can't root for her. She plays for the other team," Charlie says to me irritably.

"Hannah is my best girl, Charlie. Of course, I want her to get a hit," I say, not turning to look at him. When Hannah bats a clean single into left field, I clap aloud and wolf-whistle. When I look into the stands, I see Katherine and Enzo standing up, cheering their little girl on. I wish she could play on my team but she couldn't because of where they live. When the next batter steps up the to plate for the opposing team, I root for our pitcher to get us out of the inning. We're behind by two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with two out. Turning to look at Charlie, I raise an eyebrow when I notice that he's still scowling at me.

"Charlie, she's my niece. What would you have me do?" I ask, resting my hands on my waist.

"You're not supposed to cheer for their team," he spouts off, kicking the dirt at me with his feet.

Trying to keep my temper from flaring, I glare at him. "That's enough, Charlie." He's going to learn good sportsmanship if it's the last thing I do.

"And I'm not cheering for their team. I'm cheering for Hannah," I explain, using my no arguments tone.

"Fine," he blurts out, giving me the stink eye before walking away to take a seat on the bench. I look up just in time to see their batter strike out.

"One more out," I yell, clapping my hands. When Dan, my pitcher hits the next batter on the shoulder, I motion the umpire for a moment. I walk to the pitcher's mound to talk to him.

"Was that an accident or was it on purpose?" I ask, knowing that he and the kid at the plate have gotten into it before.

"Come on, Damon?" he says, kicking his feet in the dirt.

"Answer me, Dan." His silence speaks volumes so I send him to the dugout and call in Nathan to finish pitching this inning. When I walk back into the dugout, I give Dan an eyeful. He knows the two of us will be having a conversation when this game is over. Fortunately Nathan gets the next batter out.

"One more at bat guys. We need two runs to tie the game. Let's go now, we've come from behind before, we can do it again," I encourage them.

"Charlie, up to the plate," I tell him, patting his back as he walks by to take his turn in the batters box. I clap loudly and cheer when he hits a double into centerfield. Our next batter hits an infield pop up but when Charlie makes a run for third base, he's tagged out. We're two out and two runs behind. I give Charlie a squeeze on the shoulder when he walks back to the dugout, his head hung low.

"It's okay, Charlie," I tell him, then turn my attention back to Tommy as he steps into the batters box. The pitcher throws two balls. He grooves a curve ball right into Tommy's sweet spot and he hits over the right field fence for a homerun. If only Charlie hadn't been tagged out, the game would be tied.

"Way to go, Tommy," I greet him with a high five when he gets back to the dugout after rounding the bases.

"Thanks coach," he replies, a huge smile on his face.

"Okay John, you're our last chance.. No pressure though buddy," I tease.

"No, no pressure at all," he retorts, raising his eyebrows at me skeptically. After taking a couple of practice swings, John takes his turn in the batters box. The first pitch is a swing and a strike. The second is a wild pitch ricocheting off the back stop. I'm standing on the dugout steps, one leg on the top step, one below as I clap and cheer on John. The count is three balls, two strikes when the opposing coach asks for a time out. He summons Hannah to the mound to throw what could be the final pitch. As much as I love her, I have to root for my team to win. She stares at John for several moments, shaking off the catcher's signals a couple of times before she finally nods and goes into her windup. She grooves a strike right across the plate, John swings and misses, ending the game.

"It's okay, John. We'll win next time," I tell him before raising my eyes to give Hannah a wink. My guys line up, congratulating the winners. Hannah smirks as I walk over to her.

"Well done, young lady," I tell her, pulling her in for a big hug.

"Thanks Uncle Damon," she gushes.

"Don't get too cocky," I tell her with a smirk of my own.

"Way to go little girl," Enzo remarks, walking up to her, Katherine alongside him. He gives her a high five then wraps an arm around her shoulder. Katherine gives her a hug then turns to me, raising her eyebrows teasingly.

"What?" I ask, knowing she's going to rub it in.

"I wasn't going to say a thing," she says, shaking her head. Just then, Meredith and Mason walk over to where we're standing, Charlie between them.

"Good game, Damon," he says, shaking my hand.

"Yeah, our guys played well," I admit.

"Mason is taking Charlie for an overnight. We'll pick him up to go to the picnic Sunday," Meredith states, walking over to lift a kiss from my lips.

"Hello Meredith," Katherine says, interrupting our moment.

"Katherine, it's good to see you. We'll have to get together for lunch one of these days."

"Yes, that sounds nice," Kat replies, rolling her eyes at me. Since Meredith's attention was focused on saying goodbye to Charlie, she didn't see Katherine's little gesture. She may have Meredith fooled but I know my sister. For whatever reason, she doesn't like her. Mer steps beside me again when Mason and Charlie walk away.

"Are you ready to go?" Meredith asks, lacing her fingers with mine.

"No, I need to get our equipment picked up. I'll meet you at your house later."

"Ooh, I like that idea," she teases, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Shaking my head, I drop a kiss to her lips then bend down to pick up the ball that's at my feet.

"Okay, I'll see you at home then?" she adds, smiling widely. Nodding, I watch her walk off before turning my attention back to my family.

"Damon, really?" Katherine scoffs, rolling her eyes at me this time.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodbye and don't do anything I wouldn't do," she warns, wrapping an arm around Hannah, leaving me all alone to pick up the baseball equipment.

* * *

When I get to the correct turn off, I exit off of the interstate and drive towards St. Vrain State Park. It's settled on fifty acres of land and eighty acres of water split among several ponds. It's really a pretty place. St. Vrain is home to the largest Great Blue Heron rookery in the state. There's migrating waterfowl, songbirds and raptors to view as well. During the winter, St. Vrain is home to magnificent bald eagles. The fishing is great. Ric and I have landed a few good-sized fish here. The ponds offer bluegill, crappie, large mouth bass, pumpkinseed, perch, catfish and rainbow trout. Trout fishing is excellent during the spring and fall. When the fish are biting, the park is the perfect spot to teach children how to fish. I decide that Charlie and I will have to do just that sometime.

"I've never been here before," Meredith remarks, staring at the scenery as we drive towards the picnic grounds that Katherine mentioned. We drive maybe another twenty minutes or so till I find the picnic area Katherine mentioned. When I see Enzo's car in the parking area, I know we're in the right spot. Fortunately there's one spot left for me to pull into.

"There are a lot of people here today," I mention to Meredith. Once I stop the car, I jump out to open the trunk to get the fried chicken, melon balls and coleslaw. Reaching inside, I hand Charlie the bucket of chicken before handing the rest to Meredith. After slamming the trunk closed, I take the big bowl of melon out of her hands to carry it over to the picnic table. I look around till I see Hannah and some guy throwing a baseball back and forth to each other.

"Over there," I utter to Meredith, pointing. I don't see Katherine but I know she's here somewhere. As we get closer, I see that she picked a picnic table under the trees. Both Enzo and Katherine are sitting on the picnic table, their backs to me. When Enzo stands up, I see that someone is with them. I gasp when I realize it's not just any someone, it's Elena. Blowing out a puff of air, I squeeze Meredith's hand tighter.

"Damon? What is it?"

"Not a thing," I reply, smacking my lips to hers at the same time Elena's eyes meet mine.

* * *

 _Damon!_

 _Thank you Eva. You all should really give her a high five because she puts up my incessant emails, chapter after chapter, revision after revision without complaint. These stories wouldn't be here without her. I bow my hat to you my friend and co-pilot._

 _Title: 'One' by 'Three Dog Night'_ _._

 _Please take a look at 'Let There Be Light' by my dear friend Florencia7. She works magic with DE._

 _'Almost' by jaybunzy0 is an angst-fest..._

 _Also I need to thank all of you for your follows and favorites. A special thank you to those of you who do take that extra few moments to write a review._

 _'The Unforgiven' updated Thursday. 'What if I Was Nothing' updated yesterday. Please give those a look._

 _And as always, have a safe and lovely weekend. Please click that *REVIEW* button. We'll see you next time._


	6. Wretched and Divine

" _Not a thing," I reply, smacking my lips to hers at the same Elena's eyes meet mine._

"Oh Damon," Meredith gushes, raising her hands to my cheeks to deepen the kiss. My eyes however, stay glued to Elena even as she looks away. The guy that was playing catch with Hannah walks over and sits beside her on the picnic table. It dawns on me that it's the same guy I saw her with in the mall. I take a deep breath and smirk at Meredith when she steps back, her smile wide.

"Charlie, why don't you go over and play catch with Hannah," I tell him, using my head to gesture towards her. I watch as he picks up the extra glove and starts tossing the ball to my niece. With my attention on the kids, I don't notice Katherine till she's right in front of me.

"Hello Meredith," she says, her eyes staring into mine. I look away when I hear Meredith clearing her throat.

"I'll take the melon medley over to the picnic table," she says, taking it out of my hands, leaving Katherine and I standing there.

"Is there a reason for that show?" she asks, her eyes narrowing in on mine. With her arms crossed over her chest, I can tell she's seething. I have to look twice as I almost thought I saw steam billowing from her ears.

"Nope," I reply, staring her down. "What is _she_ doing here?" I ask, scrunching my eyebrows together.

"She's my friend and employee. She's still recuperating and I thought the fresh air would do her good," she explains, matter of factly. I look around but I don't see my brother.

"I thought Enzo said that Stefan and Caroline were coming?"

"They're here somewhere," she utters, waving me off. It's obvious that she's more than a little perturbed with me.

"Listen Damon, you and Meredith are free to do whatever you choose on your own time but Hannah doesn't need to watch while you stick your tongue down her throat. Are we clear?" Rolling my eyes, I just shake my head and walk over to the picnic table. My eyes widen when I see Elena, Meredith and the guy engaged in conversation. Although I can see that Elena is anxious, she's doing a good job hiding it from Mer.

"Well hello, Elena," I greet her when I sit down beside my girlfriend. I lean in to lift another kiss from her lips which she deepens again. Feeling a finger snap at the back of my head, I let go of her lips exaggeratedly, seductively pulling her lip out with my teeth before letting go. Although it's Katherine who snapped my head, I don't look up. Instead I raise an eyebrow when I see the funny look on Mer's face. Brushing it off, I smile widely as I loop an arm around her, pulling her close to me.

"Hi Damon," Elena replies, dropping her eyes. And I know exactly what she's doing. She wringing her hands together on her lap. I can't help but smile when I realize my over the top affection with Mer is getting to her.

"Are you feeling better?" I ask, trying to sound detached, lifting another kiss from Meredith as I wait for her to answer.

"I'll be fine. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a walk. Will you join me, Brady?" she asks, standing up. Just like that, she's turned the tables. Feeling my gut twisting painfully inside, I watch the two of them walk away, hand in hand.

"What are you up to Damon?" Mer asks me when Elena and Brady walk away and down the path that circles the lake.

"I'm not up to anything? Aren't I always affectionate with you?" I add, my voice sounding a bit harsher than I intended.

"You're not telling me something. Is it that girl?" she asks, motioning to where Elena and Brady are standing near the water's edge. Noticing their still entwined hands, I feel the knife go in deeper.

Frustrated, I spew out, "No of course not. I saw my sister with her at the hospital. That's why I asked. I mean, I don't quit being a nurse just because I'm not wearing my uniform."

"You're sure that's all it is?"

"Yes, Meredith. What's with the inquisition?"

"Well, you're not one to be so kissy, huggie in public like you are today. I was wondering if she's the reason?"

"Didn't I just bring you a bouquet of flowers?" I add, standing up. I give her a 'back off' look then walk off in the opposite direction that Elena walked with that Brady person.

"Hold up, Damon," I hear Enzo yell. I turn around just as he reaches me.

"Do you want to tell me why you're wearing your ' _Mr. Hyde'_ hat today?" he asks, stepping in front of me.

"What's she doing here?" I ask, my voice rising with each syllable that escapes my mouth.

"She?" he asks, his eyes following the direction of my hand when I point at her. I also don't miss the 'if looks could kill' glare that Katherine is aiming at me.

"Elena?" he utters, looking at me flustered because he has no idea what she meant, still means to me.

"Yeah," I reply, dropping down to sit at the base of a big old oak tree. I look up when he sits down beside me.

"Why would she make you feel so off of your game? A frazzled Damon is a sight to behold," he laughs uneasily, looking completely flummoxed.

"Never mind. Just answer the question. Why is she here?" I repeat, gesticulating wildly with my hands.

"Surely you remember when you watched Hannah so Kat and I could go to Vegas for her convention?"

"I remember. What does that have to do with anything?"

"That's where she met Elena. For lack of a better word, Katherine has been courting her for quite sometime. She finally convinced Elena to come here to work for her," he says with a shrug of his shoulders. I don't say anything, I just listen to Enzo as he talks. After so long, I decide I've had enough. Fortunately that's when Katherine starts yelling that it's time to eat. Enzo and I walk back towards our picnic table. Elena is sitting at the water's edge with that guy. I'd like to tie him in a sack and throw him in the river...

"Charlie, swallow your food before you try to talk," I admonish when he tries to speak with his mouth full of potato salad. He's sitting between Meredith and I as we eat. Hannah is sitting beside Elena, looking completely enamored of her. Must run in the family because I am too.

"Elena promised to take me to the museum of natural history this week, uncle Damon. I can't wait," she gushes, her smile wide as she looks at Elena.

"I'm excited too," Elena replies, her smile beaming as she looks at my niece.

"Elena and Hannah have become good buddies," Katherine explains, her tone almost giddy.

"I could take you to the museum if you want, Hannah. Charlie could join us," I offer.

"No, I want to go with Elena. She said we're going to have a girl's day. That means you can't come along," she spouts, flashing her own eye thing at me..

"Okay then," I mutter, taking a bite of my chicken.

"You can still take Charlie," Meredith adds, rubbing her shoulder with mine.

"I want to go, Damon," Charlie blurts out.

"I'll take you buddy," I reply, ruffling his hair. He doesn't like it when I ruffle his hair so he gives me a disgruntled look.

"How's work been, Damon?" Katherine asks.

"Really busy," I reply, taking a sip of my lemonade.

"I keep telling him that he needs to go back to med school," Meredith mentions, eyeing me.

"And I keep telling you that I like my job. If I wanted to be a physician, I would've become a physician," I reply, glaring at her.

"Don't be like that," she scoffs, brushing me off as if my words are meaningless.

"You wouldn't have to do all the menial labor if you were a doctor. No more cleaning up excrement," she volleys back with a gotcha look on her face.

"Is that all you think I do?" I ask, incredulously. My patience is in short supply right now and she insists on pushing everyone of my buttons with her incessant trashing of my chosen profession.

"Well yeah. Surely you don't like that?" she adds, rolling her eyes. Sensing my temper about to flare, I shake my head and don't say anything else. We are going to end up having a knock down, drag out if she keeps belittling my job.

"You didn't answer me?" Meredith asks, her smile so saccharinely sweet that it makes me want to puke.

"Unless you want to get into an argument right here and now, I suggest you drop it," I sneer, my agitation rising. Unable to look at her any longer, I turn my gaze to look around the table only to see everyone drop their eyes at the same time. Wanting to change topics, I turn my focus to Elena's boyfriend.

"Brady is it?"

"That's my name," he answers with a smirk of his own.

"What is it that you do?"

"I'm a mechanic. I have my own body shop," he explains, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's great. Maybe I'll bring my baby over there sometime. I'm trying to rebuild a 1966 Camaro. I found it at a junkyard so I got it for pennies really. Maybe you could give it a look sometime?"

"I can do that. I'd love to have a look at her," he replies, turning to look at Elena. She makes eye contact with me for a moment. I still find myself getting lost in those endless doe eyes of hers. I'm sitting here with my girlfriend when the one who holds my heart is sitting across from me. How ironic is that I think to myself? For a millisecond, it's like we're the only two people in the universe as the rest of the table seems to fade away. The spell broken when I feel a jab in my side, Mer's elbow snapping me out of my reverie.

"I think it's time to go. It's late," Meredith mentions, standing up. I give Elena one last long look before I stand up to gather the dishes we brought with us. After saying goodbye to everyone and as wrong as it feels to walk away from ' _her',_ I do with the other woman at my side.

* * *

As we're driving home, the air is thick between Meredith and me. Charlie is dozing in the back seat. Home is about a ninety minute drive from the park.

"Do you want to tell me what that was?" she asks, clearly dismayed with me.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, knowing full well what she's angling for.

"That girl, that Elena," she sputters, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She was my patient, that's all there is to it," I answer, not taking my eyes off of the road.

"You're lying," she accuses.

"Why would I lie?"

"I don't know. You tell me," she blurts out, throwing her arms up.

"Green really isn't a very attractive color on you," I explode. When I look in the rearview mirror, I see Charlie starting to stir.

"Stop yelling, you'll wake him," she hisses, motioning to Charlie with her hand.

"We're almost home so he'll have to wake up shortly anyway," I snap back at her, glancing at her quickly. She glares at me angrily before turning her head to look out of the side window. We maintain silence the rest of the way back to her house. I was planning on spending the night but for both our sakes, I think I should go home. After carrying Charlie inside, I tersely tell her goodbye before walking out of her house. Just as I start the engine, she runs outside, stopping at my window.

"I thought you were going to stay tonight?" Sighing heavily, I just shake my head.

"I can't, Meredith. I'm tired and I'm going home. I'll talk to you soon," I utter then shift my car into reverse and back out of the driveway. Just as I shift the gear into drive, I give her one last look. Her mouth is agape and her arms are crossed. Clearly she's pissed. Turning away, I don't even try to hide my eye roll. Unable to deal with her tonight, I step on the gas to get the hell away from her.

* * *

When I get home, I walk over to my liquor cabinet and pour myself a finger of bourbon, savoring the burn as I chug it down my throat. After pouring myself one more, I put it away then drop onto my couch and lay my head back. I try to relax and clear my mind for a few moments but it's hopeless. As long as she's around, my insides are going to be yearning and churning. I didn't even realize how much I missed her till I laid eyes on her again. After downing my second glass of bourbon, I set the tumbler down and close my eyes hoping to relax for a little while.

 _After we peel off each others clothes, I lift her into my arms and carry her to my bed, dropping her in the center of it. I climb in behind her, scooting up so my back rests against the headboard. Using my hand, I summon her to come and sit on my lap. When she's situated with her legs wrapped around my middle, I cradle her cheeks stealing a blistering kiss from her already kiss-swollen lips. Emotion overcomes me as I hold her close. She raises her hand and with her gentle touch, she wipes the moisture from my eyes with her thumbs. Dropping a kiss down the tracks of my tears, she whispers her love for me over and over. I love this woman so much that it literally consumes me._

 _When I open my eyes again, my libido skyrockets. As I stare into her smoldering brown eyes, I realize that it'll never get any better than this. I love this woman with all that I am. Every nerve in my body is firing as she rocks her center against the silky steel of my erection. I splay my hands across her back to lay her down so I can reposition myself into the cradle of her thighs. Taking myself in hand, I run the head up and down her warm, moist center causing her to make those delicious noises. I push inside of her at the same time I capture her lips in sweltering kiss, trying to convey how much I love her in one single kiss. When her nails dig into my back, I start to move in and out, fast and slow till we find a rhythm that stokes the fire already burning throughout both my body and soul. I want everything this woman has to give me._

 _"More Damon," she pants. I'm completely mesmerized by the heaving of her bosom and the look of sheer ecstasy on her face. She makes my body sing like a Stradivarius as she raises her hips to meet my powerful strokes. As the heat inside of me surges, my pace becomes more frenetic, wanting to take us both to the precipice and an ending with a spectacular free fall. She presses her face into my neck, urging me to push harder, faster and deeper. When I feel her blunt teeth gently bite into my neck, I pant her name aloud, "Elena." Immediately my body erupts magnificently, sending me flying through time and space, screaming her name as she flies right along with me._

When I scream her name, I awaken with a jolt, lurching upright. Exhaling heavily, I drop my head into my hands, realizing once more that it was just a beautiful dream. When I finally stand up to go to my bedroom, I turn my phone off because I really don't want to speak to Meredith. And in my frame of mind, I'd probably call her Elena.

After stripping off my clothes, I step into the shower, my palms flush against the shower wall. I turn the water on cold to try to get Elena out of my mind. My breathing is still heavy as I think about her and how much I don't want to care. Shaking my head, I know it's a futile effort.

"God damn it," I yell aloud, collapsing to the floor while everything Elena bombards my senses.

* * *

 _Despite everything, Damon still loves Elena with every fiber of his being. But he's not ready to wave the white flag just yet..._

 _Thank you Eva for everything. Love you girl. A special thanks to those of you who do take that extra few seconds to write a review. Know that I am very grateful. I'm really happy with this story. Once the idea of nurse Damon popped in to my head and with Eva's guidance, this story practically wrote itself._

 _Title: 'Wretched and Divine' by 'Black Veil Brides'_

 _''What if I was Nothing' updated yesterday. Please give that a read and review too. There is a sneak peak of 'Tears in Heaven' included in that update. 'The Unforgiven' will be updating tomorrow._

 _Please remember to click that REVIEW button._

 _And as always, have a safe and wonderful weekend. I'll see you right here next week.._


	7. Love is Just a Way to Die

Elena:

"Don't cry Elena," Brady says to me, holding me in his arms. Brady and I have been best friends since the sandbox. We lived across the street from each other and our parents were best friends. He's a couple of years older than me. There has never been nor will there ever be anything romantic between the two of us. But he wouldn't be anymore of a brother to me if we did share the same DNA.

When my parents died, he flew home immediately to be with me and Jeremy. I'll never be able to thank him for always swooping in when I've had my darkest moments. When it happened, Brady uprooted himself and moved with me to Seattle. I didn't know if Damon would still be in Denver. I do wish that I would've taken that into consideration when I agreed to work for who I now know is his sister. Jeremy has his own art studio in Las Vegas and is doing very well. I talk to him often. He's going to fly here to see me when he can find someone to effectively manage his studio while he's away.

Both Brady and Jeremy tried to talk me out of leaving Damon knowing that I was deeply and irrevocably in love with him. I just couldn't put him through that. Damon is one of four children. His mother was a widow with a young child, a boy named George, when she met and married Damon's dad. His father adopted George right after their wedding. He told me that George was his best friend growing up until he died of brain cancer when he was seventeen. Damon was only eight years old when his big brother died. Even though he was just a child when that happened, he fell into a deep depression afterwards.

For whatever reason, I never got to meet any of his family. We just were busy with school and other things and we never got around to it. I knew he had a sister named Katherine but I never dreamed that my Katherine would turn out to be his Katherine. Had I known, I never would've come back to upset his life all over again.

"Penny for your thoughts," Brady asks, pulling away to look into my eyes.

"I was just thinking about him," I reply, reaching up to dab the corners of my eyes with a tissue.

"Oh Elena, it's as obvious as the day is long that he still loves you."

Looking at him disbelievingly, I ask, "What makes you say that?"

"He was so over the top with that woman. If his heart didn't still burn hot for you, he wouldn't have bothered."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know jealousy when I see it, Elena. He may be dating that woman but he doesn't love her. He loves you."

"No Brady, you're wrong. It doesn't really matter anymore anyway. He's with that woman now and there's a child involved," I blurt out, my voice muffled by tears.

"Elena," he says, taking my hands in his.

"You hurt him badly so of course he's going to act out. You need to give him time to get used to the fact that you're back," he assures, squeezing my hands.

"I hope you're right," I reply, dropping my eyes.

"Elena, trust me." When I raise my eyes to his, he smiles sadly.

"If there's to be any chance for any kind of a relationship, you're going to have to be honest with him." Reaching up to rub my left arm, I stare at him as tears begin to gather again in my eyes.

"You know I'm right," he says, wrapping me in his arms.

"I know but...," I sputter.

"No buts, sweetheart. When the right moment presents itself, you have to tell him everything." Sighing heavily, I nod gingerly.

"I'm going to bed, Brady. I'll see you in the morning." Standing up, I yawn and stretch before walking off to my bedroom. I shut the door behind me, sliding down it till I'm sitting on floor, consumed with tears and sadness.

* * *

"Good morning Elena," Katherine greets me just as I'm about to step into my office Monday morning.

"Hi Katherine," I reply, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I have a writer coming in this morning to show us her book. I was hoping you'd be able to meet with her. I have to take Hannah to the dentist."

"Sure Katherine. I'd be glad to."

"Thank you," she says as she turns around to walk out of the door. I look up when she stops at the doorway.

"Elena, do you mind if I ask you something?" she asks, shutting my door and walking back over towards me.

"Um.. no I guess not," I reply, looking hesitantly at her.

"Do you know my brother?"

"Katherine, I... I," I hedge, not wanting to go there with her.

"Your silence speaks volumes," she mentions, tilting her head slightly.

"Please Katherine, I can't. Just know that I care about him deeply," I admit, turning away when tears begin to prick at my eyes.

"Look Elena, I won't push you. But the way he behaved at the picnic, I've never seen ' _that'_ Damon before. Obviously you two shared something profound or he wouldn't have acted like such a jackass," she says, staring at me for a moment before continuing.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm a good listener. And yes, Damon is my brother but you're my friend. I'm here if you need me," she says, wrapping me in her arms, hugging me as my tears break free.

"Thank you so much Katherine but please don't be angry with him. He has valid reasons," I mention cryptically when she releases me. She gives me a look and it almost feels like she's seeing right through me.

"Elena.. I care about you a lot. I would never judge. If you change your mind, my door is always open," she stresses, smiling at me.

"Now, are you sure you're okay to meet with Miss Cooper?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Thank you for everything." Smiling, she nods and with a squeeze of my arm, she walks out of my office leaving me alone as my ever present thoughts of Damon reverberate in my head.

* * *

Damon:

Thankfully I have a day off and don't have to face Meredith just yet. I'm still pissed at her for ridiculing what I do for a living. Doctors usually get to see the patient once a day for a few minutes. Nurses are with them for a full twelve hours and sometimes longer. The reason I switched from pre med to nursing is because I like taking care of people. It gives me a great sense of fulfillment, unlike anything else. Well, I guess I had that with Elena but that was a different kind of fulfillment.

Meredith has been texting, calling and everything else in the last forty eight hours. I finally returned her texts telling her in no uncertain terms to back off. Despite that, she's continued to harass me to call her and whatnot. I finally just turned my phone off. If work tries to call, I can't help it. Sometimes we have to put our own needs first. After expelling a puff of air, I walk into the book store and to the customer service desk.

"Can I help you," the clerk asks.

"I'm looking for an author, um... Elena Gilbert," I tell her.

"Yes, I know of her. My little girl loves her books," she muses, leading me to the section where Elena's books are displayed. She points them out then leaves me be. With a shaky hand, I pull one out of its slot on the bookshelf, thumbing through it. Biting my lower lip, I take the book and walk over to one of the chairs so I can sit down and read it. My eyes widen in shock when I realize the hero of this story is a cat named 'Fuzzy'.

 _"Damon, I'm so glad you brought me here," she gushes, petting the cat that's sitting on her lap. I volunteer some of my time at the animal shelter that's near my home. I try to get there at least every two weeks. Sometimes I can go there more often, sometimes not at all but it isn't for lack of effort._

 _"Why am I not surprised that you love animals so much?" she mentions, leaning forward to drop a kiss to my lips._

 _"Do you remember when I told you about my brother George and how devastated I was when he died? My dad brought home a kitten one day. It was a mutt but I loved Fuzzy so much. He really helped fill a void because I could play with him and take care of him. Fuzzy became kind of a lifeline for me," I explain to her._

 _"Is he still alive?" she asks, continuing to stroke the cat on her lap as it purrs contentedly._

 _"I left him with mom and dad when I moved here. At home, he could go outside and frolic in the fresh grass. He couldn't do that with the hustle and bustle of Denver traffic," I tell her, dropping my eyes._

 _"Damon?" she asks, reaching over to lay her hand atop mine._

 _"He was fourteen when he died two years ago. Dad had him cremated so I could keep him. This may sound morbid but I keep him in the drawer in my bedside table. I loved that cat a lot," I admit, smiling sadly._

 _"It's not morbid, Damon. Animals become family," she whispers, reaching up to finger the hair out of my eyes. Leaning forward, I capture her lips delicately since we're sitting amidst other people._

 _"I love you," she mouths, pressing her fingers first to her lips and then to mine._

I'm stunned to realize that she named the main character in this story after my beloved cat causing my heart to start thrumming chaotically against my rib cage. Feeling suddenly short of breath, I have to suck in a mouthful of air. Closing my eyes, I try to relax and allow my ticker to beat normally again. Finally I feel strong enough to stand up so I walk back and grab all of Elena's books, carrying them to the check out counter. If her stories are going to cause this kind of reaction, I want to read them in the privacy of my own home.

"Your total is $38.52," the clerk tells me. I reach into my back pocket to grab my wallet. After paying her what I owe, I take my package and walk back to my car, still blown away by what I've learned today.

* * *

"Damon?"

"I need your best bourbon straight up, Ric," I utter, taking a seat at his bar.

"What's got you ruffled?" he asks, filling a tumbler. After sliding it towards me, he gives me a look.

"Do you need to talk?" Barely shaking my head, I turn to look at him before wrapping my hand around the glass and tossing it down my throat.

"Okay," he remarks, grabbing the bottle to refill my glass.

"It's her," I say softly, my eyes staring at the glass I'm clutching.

"Elena?"

"Yeah. God Ric, I thought I had put her behind me. She has me completely discombobulated. I still love her," I whisper, raising my eyes to his.

"I figured as much," he tells me, squeezing my forearm.

"Listen Damon. I think the first thing you need to do is find out why she left. Do you think she still has feelings for you?"

"I don't know, Ric. I can't let her back in, I just... I don't trust her, not after everything," I utter, shaking my head in frustration.

"She was at Katherine's picnic with another guy. They held hands," I utter, taking another deep slog of my drink.

"Did she know you were going to be there?" he asks. All I can do is shrug my shoulders because I don't know.

'What about Meredith?" he queries.

"I don't know about her either, Ric. I'm tired of her belittling what I do. She's fun and I like her but that's the extent of it. I don't get goosebumps or tingles or surges of electricity when I'm with her like I used to with Elena. Don't laugh at me," I warn, glaring at him before continuing.

"I really like Charlie but I don't love her. And I'm not going to go any farther with Meredith. There's won't be any love, marriage and baby carriage with her. We're having fun together but that's all there is to it."

"Does Katherine know your history with Elena?" he asks, filling my glass once more.

"No, Elena never met any of my family. I had planned to introduce her but then it was just over, you know?"

"I know, I was there, remember?"

"You're a good friend, Ric."

"And don't you forget it," he replies, pointedly. He takes care of a couple of new customers and then comes back over to me.

"I think you need to try to talk to Elena. If nothing else but to get some closure," he adds, filling a beer for the guy the guy a couple of stools away from me.

"I know but just let me escape tonight," I tell him, shoving my glass towards him, ending our conversation but not the images of Elena playing in my head.

* * *

Unable to tolerate her constant texting and calling any longer, I finally gave Meredith a call. She apologized profusely about of one side of her mouth while dissing my job on the other. After telling her that I'd have Charlie home by suppertime, the two of us leave to go to pick up Sloane so she can go along too. Sloane is Ric and Jenna's six year old daughter and my godchild so I like to include her in activities like the museum and the zoo and so forth.

"I'll have her home by suppertime, Jenna. Thanks for letting her come with," I tell her, standing at the door while I wait for Sloane to get into the car.

"Uncle Damon, I've been waiting for you," she says, running towards me. I pick up her up and drop a kiss to her cheek.

"How's my girl?" I ask.

"Good. Can we see a show at the planetarium?" she asks, tilting her head.

"If there's something that you want to watch, sure. The museum also has an Imax so we'll have to see what's showing on it too." Her mouth drops wide as she starts to clap.

"Sloane, you be good and do what Uncle Damon says. And don't run off," Jenna instructs her. After giving her mom a kiss, the two of us walk over to my car. Taking a moment to make sure she's secured by her seatbelt, I jump behind the wheel and off we go.

Once I find a parking space the three of us go inside and get in line to purchase our tickets. Once they're in hand, we make our way to the planetarium to see 'Cosmic Journey: A Solar System Adventure'. I hand the lady our tickets and then we walk inside to find a seat. The room darks as we watch the show as it plays out on the ceiling. We learn that volcanoes tower 80,000 feet above a barren surface. The show reveals how monstrous hurricanes raged for 400 years and the how Saturn's multicolored rings sit suspended in air. We're in awe as we 'travel' through the solar system faster than the speed of light as we take in the wonders of the planets and their moons.

When that show is done, we walk through the Egyptian Mummy exhibit. Charlie is in awe of the mummy they have displayed. They did cat scans of remains as displays tell us what they've learned. From there, we go to the dinosaurs because both Sloane and Charlie are completely taken with them. One is never too old to love dinosaurs I have always said, I think to myself with a chuckle.

"What's so funny, Damon?" Charlie asks, holding onto my hand.

"Nothing really. I was just thinking that I still like to look at dinosaur exhibits too," I tell him honestly.

"Can we get something to eat before we see the Imax? I'm hungry," Sloane says, rubbing her belly.

"Sure, let's go to the cafeteria." With each of them holding my hands, the three of us walk to the cafeteria on the ground floor. Once inside, we get in line to place our order. After getting our food, we look around for a place to sit. I gasp when I see Elena and Hannah sitting outside on a table.

"Uncle Damon, there's Hannah. Can I go to say hi to her?" Sloane asks excitedly. Cringing on the inside, I reluctantly agree and follow the two of them outside. When Sloane screams Hannah's name, Elena's looks up, her eyes widening considerably when she sees me.

"Can we join you?" I ask, noticing that she's wearing long sleeves in the warm weather.

"Sloane, sit by me," Hannah squeals, patting the seat beside her. Charlie and I sit down too. I'm directly across from her. I know her so well, I can see how anxious she is. Truth be told, I'm a bit on edge myself, sitting here with her and three kids.

"How come you're here today, Uncle Damon?" Hannah asks, taking a bite of her hotdog.

"It's my day off so I thought the museum was a good place to spend it. I knew you were going with Elena but I didn't realize it would be today," I explain, truthfully. She doesn't say anything, she just eats her food. Being the nurse that I am, I can't help but notice how gingerly she guards her left arm.

"Are you okay, Elena?" I ask, motioning at her arm with my eyes.

"I'm fine," she says, not raising her eyes. "As long as your uncle is here, I'm going to use the bathroom, Hannah," she mentions, standing up and quickly making her way across the cafeteria to the restroom signs. I can't help but watch till she disappears into the ladies room.

"Mom doesn't like her," Charlie says aloud, putting a French fry in his mouth.

"Your mom doesn't even know her. How can she not like her?" I ask, feeling a bit angered at his proclamation.

"She says the reason you haven't been coming over is because of that 'wretched woman'. That's what mom calls her," he says, shrugging his shoulders.

"I guess I'm going to have to have a few words with your mom. Finish eating so we can go to the Discovery Zone when we're done. We still have to see the Imax, the gem and mineral exhibit and the mythic creatures exhibit," I tell them, taking a bite of my burger. After Elena returns, the five of us go to the Discovery zone. Hannah wanted to play with Sloane for a little while. The two of us watch them as they dig up dinosaur bones in dinosaur gulch, the construction corner and the science kitchen. Then the five of us walk through the big backyard and the explorer's playhouse. Lastly we make our way to the water way where all three of them get wet.

After saying our goodbyes, Sloane, Charlie and I go through the gem and mineral exhibit. I'm in awe of the beautiful stones and the glow in the dark minerals. After they've had their fill of that, we walk in to see the mythic creatures exhibit showing dragons, unicorns, mermaids, big foots and the abominable snowman. Both Sloane and Charlie are completely enthralled as we look through it.

"Guys, we have to get to the Imax so we don't miss our show," I mention, hurrying them along. Just as we step in line, Elena and Hannah again invade my space. Closing my eyes, I drop my chin onto my chest for a few seconds till I feel Sloane tugging at my shirt to get my attention.

"You have to give him the tickets," she says, pointing at the guy taking them. Smiling tightly, I pull them out of my wallet and give them to Charlie so he can hand them over. Once we take our seats, Elena and Hannah come trudging up the stairs behind us. Hannah climbs in the seat beside Sloane and Charlie. When Elena makes eye contact with me, I shake my head no. I can't sit next to her, I just can't. She drops her eyes and takes a seat beside the kids. Sighing, I get up so she can sit beside my niece and I take a seat behind everyone.

The show we watch is Humpback Whales in 3D. We take an extraordinary journey into the world of one of nature's most awe-inspiring marine animals. Nearly driven to extinction, the humpbacks are making a slow but remarkable recovery. We swim along with them through the waters of Alaska, Hawaii and the Kingdom of Tonga watching as researchers explore why humpbacks are beautifully acrobatic and why they sing their haunting songs and why these beautiful intelligent creatures migrate an amazing 10,000 miles round trip every year. Even if only for forty five minutes, I can escape to another world, one where there's no heartbreak and no Elena.

When the show is over, we file out of our seats. We take in one last exhibit before walking into the gift shop for a little bit. Charlie picked out an arrowhead while Sloane picked out a rose quartz beaded bracelet. I picked up the green adventurine one for Hannah, handing it to her after paying for it.

Looking at my watch, I see it's almost five in the afternoon so I tell the kids we're going to have to leave now so I can get them home. All three of the kids fuss and kick their feet in the dirt when we get outside.

"None of that now or we won't come again," I admonish them.

"Okay," Sloane pouts, taking my hand as I lead them to the car. After making sure both of them have their seatbelts buckled, I look out of my window to see Hannah and Elena a few cars away. This is just too much, I think to myself.

Shaking my head, I tell Charlie and Sloan that I'm going to say goodbye to Hannah then jump out and march towards her car. "Hannah, here's a couple of dollars, will you run right over there and get me a soda?" I ask her, pointing at the soda machine sitting against the building. Once she's out of the way, I grab Elena's arm at her elbow, jerking her towards me, more roughly than I meant to.

"You're hurting me," she whispers, staring at her arm where my fingers are clutching her tightly.

"Now you listen to me, Elena, I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to hear your voice and I sure as hell don't want to see you. They're my family, mine! Quit trying to weasel your way in. And stay the hell away from me," I snarl, squeezing her arm harder before letting it loose when I see tears filling her eyes. Breathing heavily, I give her one last scathing look before I turn around and walk away, each step splintering my heart a little more. Just as I turn on the ignition, I hear a rap on my window. I look up to see Hannah standing there with my soda.

"Thank you," I reply, taking it from her hand.

"What did you do to Elena?" she asks, wearing her mean face.

"It's grown-up business, Hannah. Goodbye." After staring at her till she walks away, I switch on the ignition and hightail if out of there.

Fortunately Charlie and Sloane are oblivious to what I just did. After reading Meredith's text message, I drop Sloane off at home then take Charlie to Mason's house. Once he's safely inside, I drive off and go over to Meredith's house. As soon as she opens the door, I slam my lips onto hers, rip her shirt open and carry her to the bedroom where I lose both myself and my self respect inside of her.

After she's asleep, I just lay here, my arm covering my eyes. I hate myself for using Meredith like this. Disgusted, I get up, pull my clothes on then tip toe out of her bedroom. After leaving Meredith a note telling her I didn't feel well, I get into my car to drive home. No matter what I do, I can't escape Elena. I hate it that I still love her with every fiber of my being.

Once inside my house, I push the door shut with my body, just standing there for a few minutes. Sucking in a breath, I walk into my kitchen and pull open the cupboard to reach for my old pal, a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle. It was a birthday gift from Ric last year. I reach for a glass but hell, I don't need it. Raising it to my lips, I drink straight from the bottle tonight. Carrying it with me, I drop onto the sofa, clutching pappy tightly.

One gulp becomes two, then three and so forth. Having no concept of time in my drunken state, my blurry eyes glance at the bottle, widening when I see how much I've drank of it. After taking one more deep slog, I shakily set it down. When I close my eyes, all I can see is her. My chest begins to heave in agony, the magnitude of every vile thing I said to her slams into me like a freight train. The last image I see as the edges begin to blur is her beautiful eyes, drowning in tears, tears that I put there.

* * *

 _Oh Damon!_

 _Thank you Eva for everything. I so appreciate everything you have done for me. Love you lots._

 _My cat was named Fuzzy. I had him fourteen years and I was devastated when he died over the fourth of July weekend. I do miss him._

 _Thank you all, especially those of you that do take that extra few seconds to write a review. I'm grateful._

 _Title:_ _'Love is Just a Way to Die' by 'I Am Strikes'._

 _Please remember to review and don't forget 'What if I was Nothing' and 'The Unforgiven' and 'Tears in Heaven'..._

 _As always, have a safe and wonderful weekend. If you have Halloween plans, please do be careful. Thank you again for your support with my stories. Until next time..._


	8. Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

"Hello Mrs. Tomkins. I'm Damon and I'll be your nurse tonight. How are you feeling?"

"Please call me Annette and to answer your question, my back is still killing me," she says, rubbing her lower back with her hand.

"It looks like you're due for pain medication here pretty soon. I do believe I saw some Flexeril on your medication record too. That's a muscle relaxant," I explain to her.

"Oh, do you think that might help?"

"It should help with the spasms but sometimes those medications make you a little loopy," I explain, a smile forms on my face at the look she gives me.

"I think I'd prefer a little loopy right now," she jokes, raising her eyebrows at me.

"Can you sit forward a little so I can listen to your lungs in the back?" She grimaces but nods.

"Deep breaths, in and out. That's right." I instruct her, placing the bell of the stethoscope against her lungs, upper, lower, middle and sides. I don't miss the grimaces she makes each time she inhales deeply.

"They sound nice and clear. Now you can lay back. I'm going to listen in the front but you can breathe normally," I instruct her. First I put my stethoscope to the apex of her chest to listen to her heart. Then I move it to each side of her chest before moving it down to her belly to listen for bowel tones. When that's done, I look at her legs and feet to check for edema or swelling and feel her pedal pulses.

"All done," I tell her. "I'm going to go get you that muscle relaxant. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Damon," she says, smiling at me. After walking out of her room, I go back to the nurses station to get my meds ready for her and the rest of my patients. Once I get her Flexeril out of the medication machine, I push my C.O.W., that's computer on wheels, into her room so I can give it to her.

"Here you go, Annette. Now listen, I told you that muscle relaxants can make people a little loopy. I'm going to put your bed alarm on for your protection. I don't want you to fall," I tell her.

"That's maybe a good idea," she agrees. After scanning her ID bracelet and the medications barcode, I give it to her. Before leaving the room, I click on her bed alarm and make sure she has her call light nearby.

"Make sure you push your nurse button if you need to use the bathroom. I don't want you getting up by yourself until we're sure you're not going to wobble when you stand. Okay?"

"Thank you, Damon. I'll do that." Smiling at me kindly, she turns over with a grimace, turns off her overhead light and closes her eyes.

* * *

Blowing out a puff of air, I run down to the cafeteria to get something to eat before it closes for the night. After getting my food, I take a seat and pull my cellphone out of my pocket. As I'm paging through my texts and missed calls, I don't notice Meredith walk up till I hear the scraping sound of the chair on the floor as she pulls it out before sitting down.

"Meredith?" I say, smiling tersely at her.

"I'm more than a little pissed at you," she says, glaring at me angrily.

"What did I do to make you pissed at me? I left you a note to tell you that I didn't feel good. I mean, I didn't just disappear," I blurt out.

"I'm angry because you left me naked in our bed," she says, her voice low so we're not overheard.

"What is up with you anyway?" she asks, placing her hand atop mine.

"Can we not talk about this here?" I asks, sighing heavily.

"Fine, but we are going to talk one way or another," she starts to say when her pager alarms, interrupting us. She takes a moment to answer her page before standing up.

"I have to run but we're not done with this," she adds before rushing off. When I look at my plate, I realize that I've lost my appetite so I ask for a carry out box to put it in, in case I get hungry later. Once I get into the stairwell, I take a few minutes, sitting down on the steps. My emotions are all over the place and it wasn't fair to Meredith for me to use her the way I did. I don't love her but she's the only defense I have against Elena right now. I just don't have it in me to end things with her, not yet anyway. After inhaling a deep breath, I stand and trot up the stairs to go back to work.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Looking her square in the eye, I finally blink, stepping aside so Katherine can come into my house.

I'm hesitant to follow her after seeing the look in her eyes. Clearly she's angry with me. Once I push the door closed, she turns on me. "I came to ask who you are and what did you do with my brother?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask, running my hand through my hair as I stare at her.

"Hannah told me that you made Elena cry. I don't know what happened between you two, but you need to grow up," she demands, shoving her index finger into my chest repeatedly.

"Are you being serious right now?" I ask incredulously.

"You damn right I am. She won't tell me what happened. All she said was that you had your reasons for treating her like shit. That may be Damon, but you still don't have to act like such a jackass around her. You're twenty five years old, not two!"

"Katherine, stay out of it! Feeling my fuse burning hot, I walk away from her and into the living room, her marching right in behind me.

"I will not stay out of it when you're harassing my friend. How dare you make her cry! You have no idea what's going on in her life," she adds cryptically.

Increasingly agitated, I throw my arms up. "What are you talking about?"

"That's not for me to say. But either you behave around her or stay away," she says forcefully, leaving no room for argument.

"Fine Katherine. If you want me to keep my distance then don't invite her to family events," I yell, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'll do whatever the hell I please brother. And the next time you see her with either myself or Hannah, you best behave or you'll have me to answer to. Are we clear?" she asks, scowling at me with her hands on her hips.

"We're clear." Deflated, I drop my eyes and follow her to the door. She gives me one last disdainful look before picking up her purse and walking away, slamming my front door shut on her way out.

* * *

"Damon," Caroline greets me, standing up to wrap her arms around my neck to give me a hug right after walking through my door.

"Hey sis, Stefan," I reply, giving him a guy hug. Gesturing for them to go into the living room, I follow behind.

"I'm so glad you could come. You wouldn't believe the seats I got. We'll be right behind the Dodgers dugout," I gush, Stefan high fiving me.

"Is Meredith coming along?" Caroline asks.

"Afraid not. She has to work tomorrow night," I explain, not wanting to talk about her tonight. She and I still need to have a conversation about what she wants out of our relationship.

"If you guys will excuse, I'm going to take a shower. It's a long drive from Ouray to Denver," Caroline remarks, standing up.

"I'll carry your bags upstairs. I'll be right back, Stefan."

"How are you really, Damon?" Caroline asks when I walk with her into the guest room to set their bags down.

"Why do you ask?"

"Katherine called. She said you're having a hard time of it lately?" she mentions, tilting her head. Sighing heavily, I raise my weary eyes to hers.

"Caroline, it's not something I want to get into. But thanks for caring." I give her a light hug before leaving her alone to get freshened up. Once I get downstairs, I walk into the kitchen to grab a couple of bottles of beer from the fridge. After handing one to Stefan, I sit down on the opposite end of the couch to watch a ballgame on TV.

"Before I forget, Mom and dad's thirty fifth wedding anniversary is at the end of next month. Caroline wants to throw them a surprise party. Do you think you could get off to come home for it? She's planning to have it the weekend after since their anniversary falls on a Tuesday this year."

"I never gave that a thought, Stef. Hang on, I'll go check my schedule to see if I work that weekend," I tell him, setting my beer down. I walk back into the kitchen to look at my schedule that I have tacked to the refrigerator. As luck would have it, I do have off that weekend. I'll have to see if Ric can coach the kids that Saturday, knowing I can't miss my parents anniversary celebration.

"I do have off. My kids have a ballgame that day but I can probably get Ric to stand in for me." Blowing out a breath of air, I sit back down on the couch beside him.

"That's great. Caroline called Kath about it too. Maybe you could bring Meredith and Charlie along?" he adds, taking a swallow of his beer.

"I don't know. We're going through kind of a rough patch right now. I think she wants more than I'm willing to give. I like her and lord knows we have a good time but I don't love her, Stef," I tell him, my voice soft and feeling a bit ashamed yet for using her that night.

"At some point you'll have to be honest with her. Especially is she starts talking the 'M' word," he says, looking at me pointedly.

"I know that," I utter, taking a swallow from my own bottle.

"Damon, I'm always just a phone call away if you need to talk," he offers, giving my outstretched forearm a squeeze.

I stare into his eyes for a moment before dropping them to my lap. "I know it's cliché and right out of movie script but it's true. I gave my heart away a long time ago. No other girl has turned me upside down and inside out like Elena," I whisper, shaking my head as I stare at nothing.

"I know she hurt you bad, Damon. But you need to find some closure with her somehow," he advises, wisely so.

"She's back in Denver. She's working for Katherine," I mutter, raising my eyes to his.

"You're kidding?" he remarks, astonished.

"I wish I was," I reply defeatedly, shaking my head.

"How did that happen?"

"Elena writes children's books now. Katherine met her in Las Vegas and then she hired her. I was dumbfounded to say the least."

"Wow," he says, turning to look at me before continuing.

"Well Damon, I can't tell you what to do. It's your life but if you still care this much, maybe you should confront her, I mean, ask her why? I'm not taking her side here, but who knows, perhaps she had a valid reason," he muses, meaningfully.

"Honestly, that thought never crossed my mind. But I do know, I'm nowhere ready for that conversation," I add, standing up to get another couple of beers.

"Damon, there's a commercial for Elitch Gardens. We need to go there," he yells from the living room.

 _"Please Damon, it'll be fun," she asks, capitalizing on the power her doe eyes have on me._

 _"I don't want to get all wet," I shudder._

 _"Oh come on. It's a blast," she gushes, pulling me to stand in line for the disaster canyon ride._

 _"Okay," I reply, raising my arms in surrender. My knees weaken when I see her megawatt smile as she squeals in delight._

 _"Thank you," she says, standing on her toes, lifting a kiss from my lips._

 _"But you're going to have to go on the 'Twister II' with me," I add, stealing another kiss from her lush lips._

 _"But Damon," she pouts._

 _"No buts, turn about is fair play." I add, flashing her with my eye thing._

 _"Okay," she says softly, lacing her fingers with mine just as we're allowed to take our seats, ready to get drenched in the water ride._

"Damon, I'm waiting for a beer," Stefan yells, snapping me out of another beautiful memory I have of Elena.

"Coming Stefan," I call back, grab two more beers from the fridge and go back to watch some more TV with my big brother.

* * *

"Damon, can we ride the roller coaster?" Charlie asks.

"Sure buddy. Let's get in line," I tell him, nudging him forward with one hand. Meredith's fingers laced with my other hand. Caroline and Stefan are behind us.

"Caroline isn't much for rollercoasters. I'll go with on with you two," Stefan says.

"How come we didn't bring Hannah along?" Meredith asks.

"Katherine said that she had plans with some lady that works with her," Caroline mentions, taking a bite of her funnel cake.

"Oh, is that the lady that Charlie said was with her at the museum?" Meredith asks me.

"I don't know," I reply, seething on the inside, only relaxing when I see Stefan give me a knowing look. Caroline and Meredith take a seat to wait for us as we go to get in line for the roller coaster. Fortunately Charlie is the right height to get on. I'm going to go home with Meredith tonight so we can have a discussion. However, I will not and cannot commit to anything long term. I'm simply not in love with her.

We spend the day at Elitch Gardens six flags adventure park. It's a lot of fun. At one time, I went on all of these rides with Elena. I try to put her out of my mind and just enjoy the day. Somehow I manage to do just that till we get in line to get something to eat. It's then that I see her, smiling and holding hands with that guy that was with her at the barbecue. I don't see Hannah though so maybe she's doing something with one of Kat's other friends.

I slip my Dodgers baseball cap back on so hoping Elena won't see me. Once Stefan, Caroline and Charlie walk over with our trays of food, we dig in. I try to surreptitiously keep an eye on Elena but I don't want Meredith to notice. When Elena and that Brady guy get up to leave, my breath hitches a little when I see her left arm in a sling. That's the arm I grabbed her with in the museum parking lot. If I somehow hurt her, I'll never forgive myself.

"Damon?"

"What?" I ask, aroused from my thoughts when Mer says my name.

"Where were you?" she asks, looking at me a little leery.

"Nowhere, just eating my lunch," I say, taking another bite of my sandwich. Stefan raises his brows at me. He knows me way too well.

"I was just thinking that maybe Charlie could stay the night at your house with Stefan and Caroline. Then you and I can have that talk," she asks, her mouth slightly agape as she waits for my answer.

"I suppose that would be okay if it's okay with Stef and Care," I add.

"You'd like to stay the night with me and Stefan wouldn't you, Charlie?" Caroline asks, smiling widely at him.

"I guess," he says, looking at me.

"You'll be fine, Charlie. You can play Call of Duty with Stefan on the PlayStation. Stefan is good," I tell him, smirking.

"Are you Stefan?" he asks.

"Pretty darn, Charlie," Stefan replies, reaching over to ruffle up his hair a little bit.

"Hey," he protests, reaching up to try to straight his hair. All of us start to laugh and finally Charlie laughs along with us. When we finish eating, we go on several more rides. I give Stefan my key ring so he can drive back to my house with Caroline and Charlie while I get jump in driver's seat of Meredith's Mercedes. After she kisses Charlie goodbye, she gets in, waving at Charlie as I back out of the parking lot and pull onto the highway, thankful that I didn't have a run in with Elena again.

* * *

"Do you want something to drink?" Meredith asks just after we step into her house.

"Only if you are," I reply, walking into the living to take my jacket off. Not long after, she walks in, carrying a drink in each hand. After giving one to me, she sits down.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I ask, repositioning my body so I'm facing her.

"I'd like to know what's going on with you? I mean, you're distant, you short-tempered, you're just not yourself lately. And on top of that, you left me naked in our bed," she blurts out, her voice a little angry by the end of her spiel.

"Why are you so insistent that something is going on with me, Meredith?"

"Because of the reasons I just mentioned," she answers, throwing her arms up in frustration.

"Quit with the theatrics, Meredith. Please just tell me what it is that you want," I ask, dropping my chin to my chest.

"I want more, Damon. I want a commitment from you," she spills, taking my hands in hers.

"Meredith?" I whisper, staring into her eyes.

"Damon, I know you care about me and Charlie. I don't know why you're so hesitant?"

Closing my eyes for a moment, I try to find a way out of this situation. I can't just blurt out that I don't want forever with her. I only want forever with Elena. After sucking in a deep breath, I open my eyes again.

"Look Meredith, I can't give you that. I don't want to get married. I don't know if I'll ever want to get married." _Lie, I think to myself. I've only ever wanted to marry her._ I say, trying to explain myself without hurting her anymore than I already am.

"I do like you Meredith and of course I think the world of Charlie but I'm not ready for more yet."

"Is this because of our age difference? I'm only seven years older than you. I'm not ancient."

"Of course you're not. And if I cared about your age, I wouldn't be with you," I stress to her, leaning forward to press a kiss to her cheek.

"You're beautiful and vibrant and any man would be lucky to have you. I am that man, Meredith. But please, I can't have this conversation yet. I'm don't even want to think about more right now. Please understand." When I look at her again, I see her wiping her eyes with a tissue.

"Don't cry, please," I whisper, pulling her into my arms and press a kiss to the crown of her head.

"Can we not talk about this anymore?" I ask... "Please."

"Yeah, we can drop it for now," she burbles out, her voice heavy from her tears.

"Let's go to bed, it's been a long day," I tell her softly, standing up and offering her my hand. Once I pull her up, I wrap and arm around her shoulders and together we walk to her bedroom. I'm too tired for sex and so is she so we just take off our clothes and get in bed.

"Goodnight Meredith," I whisper before turning onto my side away from her.

"Goodnight Damon," she whispers back. Rather than spoon me from behind as usual, she turns on her left side, away from me and away from my touch. God help me, I couldn't be more grateful because every image that ricochets in my head is the chocolate brown eyes of the girl I lost.

* * *

 _This is more of a filler chapter. Damon knows where his heart really lies and it's not with Meredith. But he's not ready to surrender his only defense just yet..._

 _Thank you so much Eva for everything. I love you my friend._

 _Thanks and love to all of you for taking time to leave a review. You're all the best._

 _Title: 'Two Out Three Ain't Bad' by Meatloaf_

 _I did post a one-shot yesterday, 'Love Story'. Please read and review. When I tell you that very few people ever bother to review, 259 people have looked at and/or read this story yet only six people have left a review. I will say it's a bit frustrating._

 _Also I posted the final chapter of 'What if I Was Nothing' on Thursday. Please give that a read too. 'The Unforgiven' updated yesterday. Keep an eye out for 'Tears in Heaven' as well._

 _*Reviews are love* Those of you who post anonymously asking me to update. I do hope you'll weigh in now that I have... ;)_

 _Stay safe and have a fun weekend. Until next week._


	9. Silver Springs

I'm awakened the next morning when I feel Meredith's mouth on me. Feeling a shiver surge up my spine, I fist the covers as my body writhes beneath them. It takes minutes for me to release, a little shocked to wake up this way after the way we ended things last night. She presses a kiss there then crawls on top of me.

"Good morning to you," I whisper, a wide smile on my lips.

"Morning," she purrs. With a flash of my eye thing, I pull her up so I can kiss her deeply. With a little swagger of my own, I roll her beneath me and take us both to the promised land...

* * *

Raising my fingers to my mouth, I start to wolf whistle when Charlie steps into the batters box.

"Come on buddy, keep your eye on the ball." Yelling aloud from the dugout, I start to clap, hoping he'll get on base. The pitcher throws one high and tight, Charlie swings and misses. The next pitch is wild, hitting the back stop behind the catcher. Nathan runs from second base to third base. We're tied with the other team. If we can get Nathan to home plate, we'll win the game. The third pitch is way outside the strike zone, ball two called by the umpire.

The other Team's coach asks for a minute to speak to his pitcher. I watch as they talk but I am unable to hear nor can I read lips from such a distance. Their coach goes back to his dugout while at the same time, their pitcher steps back on mound. Charlie returns to the batters box. He zings a curveball right over the center of the plate, Charlie swings and misses. The count is two balls and two strikes.

"Come on, Charlie," I cheer, clapping as hard as I can. Looking into the stands, I see Meredith on the edge of her seat, clapping and cheering. Mason is beside her doing the same. He leans over to whisper something in her ear causing her to laugh. Although she doesn't take her eyes off of her son as he takes his turn in the batters box.

This time the guy throws a fast ball on the outside corner, the umpire calls it ball three. Suddenly the pitcher and their coach are in the umpires face screaming that it was a strike. I hear the umpire warning them that he'll throw them out of the game if he doesn't go back to the dugout. The coach gives him one nasty glare and spits in the dirt before finally returning to the dugout. Their catcher goes out to give his pitcher a few encouraging words before running back to his position behind Charlie.

Raising my eyes to the bleachers one more time, I can't help but notice how well Mason and Meredith seem to be getting along today. Usually they're pretty standoffish with each other.

I watch as the pitcher shakes off a couple of signs from his catcher before finally nodding. He goes into his windup then throws another curve ball but this time, Charlie makes contact, sending it flying into centerfield. The centerfielder makes a valiant effort but doesn't catch it. Nathan tags third base and crosses home plate, giving us the win. I run out to home plate to high five Nathan as he crosses the plate. I run over to Charlie and pull him into my arms.

"Way to go, Charlie!" I gush, giving him a high five as well. When I look into the stands, I see Meredith and Mason making their way down to the field. Charlie runs to his parents once they're about to step onto the baseball field.

After picking up our equipment and stowing it in my trunk, we go to a kids pizza joint. For whatever reason, Mason decides to join the three of us today. As we're eating our pizza, Charlie's smile is just beaming because of all the adulation his parents have given him. I'm happy for the little guy.

"So Damon, how are things at the hospital?" Mason asks, taking a bite of his pizza.

"Busy. I don't know if I mentioned it to you?" After turning my attention to Meredith, I continue, "But I picked up an extra shift tomorrow night because they're short."

"No you didn't tell me." she snaps, her voice disgruntled sounding.

"I must've forgot. My manager called me yesterday." Dropping my eyes, I reach for my soda and take a long swallow.

"You do know that if you went back to school, you wouldn't have to deal with such things." With her eyes boring in on mine, she raises her glass, taking a drink.

"Meredith, it's been a good day. Let's not go there now, okay?"

"You're right. I'm sorry," she says, setting her hand atop mine and giving it a squeeze. I don't miss how Mason drops his eyes when he sees her gesture. Once we finish eating and say our goodbyes to Mason and Charlie, I take Meredith home.

"Do you want to stay over tonight?"

After giving her a tease with my eye thing, I grab onto the steering wheel with one hand, while taking ahold of the gear shift with the other. "I would but I won't get any sleep tonight if I do."

"That's not necessarily true."

"If I didn't work tomorrow night, I would. I don't know if I mentioned it but Caroline with Katherine's help, are throwing my parents an anniversary party. Do you and Charlie want to go with me?"

"You want us to go along?" She's clearly astonished judging by the look on her face.

"Yeah I do."

"Oh Damon, of course we'll go along," she replies, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me deeply. When she finally pulls back, I press one more wisp of a kiss to her lips before she gets out of my car.

"I'll call you tomorrow sometime. Goodnight, Damon."

"Goodnight," I reply. I wait till she's safely inside her house before driving away.

* * *

Meredith:

Mason has Charlie and Damon is sleeping this afternoon so I decide to go to the mall to find a nice dress to take to his parents anniversary party. He must've changed his mind about commitment since he asked us to go with him to meet his parents. I'm so happy right now, I could bust. Deciding I also want to get some sexy lingerie, I walk into the Victoria's Secret store. I shiver when I look at some of it. Damon is going to melt. After purchasing several pieces as well as corset, garter belt and stockings, I go into Neiman Marcus to see if I can find a dress. After tying on several designer dresses, finally I find a beautiful knee length Dolce and Gabbana frock. I can't wait till he sees me in it. When the sales clerk shows me a pair of Louboutin heels to wear with the dress, I know that I have to have them too. I hand him my credit card to pay for everything then wait patiently while he packages everything for me.

As I pass through the cosmetics section of Neiman's, I stop for a make over because I really want to impress his parents. She convinces me to purchase some neutral shades that will enhance my eye color. When she finishes with me, I must say that I like the look. Feeling thirsty, I decide to go to the café court to get something to eat. Just after getting in line to order something from 'Chick-Fil-A', I happen to notice that Elena girl sitting at one of the tables by herself. Feeling my temper start to rise, I march right over to her.

She looks up at me as I approach her. "Can I help you?" she asks, looking around as if there's someone else I'm looking for.

"Elena is it?"

"Yes. Oh, you're the woman that came to the picnic with Damon." She drops her eyes for a second, raising them only when I start to speak.

"I am and I want you to stay away from him. I don't know who you are or what you meant to Damon but he's mine now. We have a child and that should be reason enough for you to back off," I spew, my voice full of disdain.

"I... I haven't done anything."

"I don't care. Clearly your presence has affected him. I'm warning you, stay away." Just as I start to walk away, Katherine joins us at the table. As soon as she sets the tray down, she looks at Elena and then at me. When she sees that it's pretty obvious that my words have upset Elena, Katherine gets in my face.

"What did you do, Meredith?"

"I didn't do anything Katherine. I was just staking my claim. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do." After turning my nose up, I turn around and walk away to go about my business.

* * *

Elena:

"Thank you for inviting me, Katherine. It's nice to get out of the house for awhile. I needed a new pair of jeans."

"You're welcome. We really have to do this more often. Hannah adores you, Elena."

"She's a sweet girl. I hope to have children one day."

"You're going to make a wonderful mother. Don't you ever doubt that." Smiling, I take a drink of my soda. When the clerk calls our name, Katherine gets up to get our food. Unfortunately, when she steps away, Damon's girlfriend decides to confront me. I sigh in relief when Katherine comes back. After having a few words with her, that wicked woman walks away, Katherine's eyes watching her till she disappears. As soon as she sits down, she slides my plate in front of me.

"I honestly don't know what he sees in that woman." she mentions, rolling her eyes.

"So Elena, about Damon...?"

"Katherine, I really don't want to talk about him. He hates me," I whisper. Not wanting to cry in front of her, I close my eyes tightly for a moment. Blowing out a breath, I open my eyes again.

"He doesn't hate you, Elena. That I'm certain of. What has crawled up his ass, I honestly don't know, but I intend to get to find out."

"Don't be angry with him."

"Elena," she says, reaching over to give my hand a squeeze, "I think he's acting this way to keep you at arms length." Dropping my eyes, I take another bite of my food. When I raise my eyes to hers again, I nod slightly, hoping to end this conversation.

My eyes close when I take a whiff of my entrée. Opening them up I smile at Katherine, taking my fork in hand. "Mm, mm, I love mushroom chicken." Digging in right away, I take a bite, savoring the taste as I chew it up. Shuddering animatedly, she stares as I stick a mushroom in my mouth.

"Eww, I hate like mushrooms!" I can't help but laugh at the look on her face.

Almost as if she senses my discomfort, she changes topics. "What do you say, we splurge on a cherry dip cone when we're done eating?"

"I think that is an excellent idea." Picking up my drink, I take a swallow of my soda, relaxing visibly now that the conversation has veered from him.

* * *

Damon:

Needing a night to myself, I walk over to Ric's bar. I'm so glad it's in my neighborhood so I don't have to worry about driving home. He and Jenna live in a small house just adjacent to his bar. It only has a couple of bedrooms and I've found myself there many a night, especially after she disappeared.

As I take a sip, I wonder what I got myself into by inviting Meredith to go to the anniversary party with me. She's been so attentive lately without any further mention of commitment which in truth scares me a bit. She probably thinks that's exactly what I'm doing by inviting her and Charlie to meet the parents. Shuddering, I take a deep swallow from the long neck of my beer bottle.

Not long after, I notice Enzo walk in. When he looks around, I motion for him to join me. Ric hands Enzo a bottle of beer, the two of them talking about sports among other things.

"Ric, I have to go to my parents house for their anniversary in a couple of weeks. Do you think you could coach the boys that day? Charlie is coming with me so he won't be there," I ask, hoping he'll say yes.

"Sure, Jenna can manage the bar for a few hours." After handing me another bottle of beer, he turns his attention back to the TV above the bar. Suddenly I hear a laugh. A laugh I'd know anywhere, her laugh.

 _"Someone's had a little too much to drink," I tease. I'm holding her in my arms as we sway back and forth the music playing on the jukebox._

 _"Have not," she pouts adorably._

 _"Ah ha. You'll tip over if I let you go," doing just that but I catch her before she tumbles to the floor._

 _"No fair," she whispers, her arms holding onto me for dear life._

 _"I told you so," I tease, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head._

 _"That's not nice," she retorts, at the same time a smile starts to grace her beautiful face._

 _"I'm very nice." Placing my lips to her warm flesh, I start to nuzzle her neck, knowing how ticklish she is right there._

 _"Damon," she laughs, trying to squirm out of my arms but I don't let go. I just keep torturing her with kisses and licks._

 _"Stop please," she blurts out, laughing uproariously. When I finally stop, I wrap her in my arms, knowing that I'll never let go._

"Damon?" I'm snapped out of my reverie when I notice Enzo snapping his fingers in my face.

"Sorry, I was just thinking that I need to use the bathroom." Standing up, I look around at the crowd, hoping to see her. Elena's boyfriend notices me but she does not. I don't want to get into anymore with her. My heart twists a little bit when I see that she still has her left arm wrapped. Did I hurt her that day at the museum? It's been a couple of weeks already. It kills me to think that I may have hurt her that badly in my anger. I knew right away, I shouldn't have grabbed onto her arm like that. I was just angry in that moment that I couldn't think straight.

Sucking in a breath, I walk into the bathroom to do my business. As I start to go back to the bar, I can't help but glance at her. That guy, Brady, is all over Elena. He has his arms wrapped around her, whispering something in her ear. Each roar of her laughter is a perfectly aimed blow to my midsection. When he sees me staring, he actually winks at me, twisting the dagger in even further. When my breath hitches, I turn away. Fisting my hands at my sides, I expel a breath of air and then walk back to the bar to join Enzo. I know Ric saw because he slides a tumbler of bourbon towards me. When Enzo excuses himself to use the bathroom too, I look at Ric.

"Have you talked to her?"

"I did."

"Did she mention me?"

"No, did you expect she would?"

"Not really." Swallowing the bourbon in one gulp, I relish the burn as it goes down. I twist in my chair when I hear her voice again. They're at the door about to leave. Summoning every ounce of courage I possess, I get up and walk towards her, following the two of them outside.

"Elena?" When she turns around, I notice she's clutching that arm again.

Swallowing thickly, I'm unable to take my gaze off of her arm. "Did I hurt you? That day at the museum, did I hurt you?"

"I don't have anything to say to you," she snaps, looking away from me.

"I'm so sorry, Elena. I know things aren't good between us but you must know that I'd never hurt you, never intentionally anyway." Brady steps beside her, looping his arm around her middle, pulling her close before dropping a kiss to her cheek.

"I don't want to see you or speak to you either. You're not the Damon that I used to know nor are you the Damon that I used to l..." Her voice is even and emotionless as she glares into my eyes. And it hurts inside to see her look at me with such indifference.

"You hurt her again, you'll have me to answer to," Brady remarks, letting go of her, moving to stand in front of me.

"Brady, just don't. Let's go." Reaching for his hand, she pulls him away from me. He gives her a hug, laces his fingers with hers and the two of them walk down the sidewalk, arm in arm. Just before they're out of eyeshot, she turns around and stares at me. The moment ending only when they turn the corner and disappear from sight.

* * *

"Happy Anniversary." After pressing a kiss to her cheek, I give her a big hug.

"I'm so glad you made it, Damon. And who is this?" she asks, smiling at Charlie.

"Mom, this is my friend Meredith and her son, Charlie."

"It's nice to meet you, Charlie," she says, shaking his hand. "And you too, Meredith," she adds, raising her eyebrows at me when she gives Meredith a light squeeze. The three of us drove down early this morning. After getting a motel room, we all showered, changed and drove to the venue that Caroline had chosen for the celebration. I did do a double take when I saw that Meredith went all out. She looks beautiful with her new dress and makeup. Despite everything, I wish there was someone else by my side to introduce to my parents.

"Is dad nearby? I wonder, looking around till I see him engaged in conversation with Caroline.

"I bet Hannah is around here somewhere." Making our way through the crowd, we look around till we see her. I give him nudge, encouraging him to go by her so he has someone his own age to talk to.

"Where's Caroline?" Meredith asks.

"Over there." As soon as I point her and my dad out, I look around for anyone else I know.

"I'll be back, I'm going to go to say hi to her." After giving me a peck on the lips, she walks off, swaying her hips with each step.

"Is this someone you like?" mom asks, looking at me pointedly.

"I like her mom."

"But do you like her? I mean, she has a child. Do you want that responsibility?"

"I want kids some day. I just don't know mom." Looking up when I feel her squeeze my hand, I visibly exhale.

"Think long and hard about it. You know your dad and I will always support you," she reassures me.

"Thanks mom." After giving her another kiss on the cheek and a hug, I excuse myself.

"I'm going to say hi to dad." She gives me a smile as I walk off, only to be ambushed by Katherine when she grabs onto me at the crook of my elbow, pulling me into an empty room.

"What's going on?" I ask, wondering why she slammed the door shut.

"You listen and you listen good," she starts, poking her finger into my chest again, something she's been doing since we were kids.

Grabbing onto her hand, I fling it off of my chest. "What's your problem?"

"Your so called girlfriend. That's the problem."

Crossing my arms over my chest, I furrow my brows, getting in her face. "Please enlighten me?"

"Elena and I were at the mall having a girl's day while Hannah was in school. Your dear, sweet Meredith accosted her, said she was and I quote, "staking her claim!"

"You can't be serious?" I scoff, shaking my head.

"Oh I'm serious brother. If she goes after Elena again, she'll have me to answer to. Do you understand?"

Visibly deflating, I drop my head for a moment. Once I take a breath, I raise my eyes to hers. "Why would she attack Elena?"

"Obviously, she feels threatened by her," she snaps, giving me a little shove.

"Katherine, why do you hate her so much?"

'I don't hate anyone. I just don't like her. And the reason for that is because she's a damn snob. I've seen how she belittles what you do. I'm proud that my brother is a nurse yet she ridicules it and makes it seem like you're nothing more than poop scooper!" she adds, her voice full of disdain. Blowing out a puff of air, I look her square in the eye again.

"Alright Katherine, that's enough. I get it. I do."

"No it's not. Elena is going to be donating a parcel of her books to the pediatrics ward. We have a whole event planned for her to make the presentation and read to the kids. If you or Meredith interfere with that, there will be hell to pay. Don't doubt me," she sneers, tightening her lips together. My mouth drops open in shock, realizing that my Elena is still in there, somewhere.

"I'll make sure Meredith leaves her alone," I whisper, turning away from her. I hear her take a breath and then I hear footsteps as she steps closer to me.

She places her hand on my chin, raising it so I'm forced to look at her. "Are you okay, Damon?"

"I'm fine. I'm going to go back to the party now." Shaking my head, I pull the door open, standing aside so Katherine can exit first. With slumped shoulders, I walk over to my dad, feeling utterly broken inside as the magnitude of what I've lost nearly takes me out at the knees. I see Meredith waving to me but I don't want to deal with her now or I might lose my temper. Needing some fresh air, I walk outside and away from the building so she won't find me if she follows.

I find a bar about a block away and walk inside. After ordering a bourbon, straight up, I take a seat. Dropping my head into hands, I can't deny the love I feel for Elena any longer. I need to find some answers one way or another. With renewed resolve, I sling back my drink, pay the guy and start to walk back to the party. Steeling my nerves, I walk back inside to join Meredith and pretend to be the good boyfriend, at least for a little while yet.

* * *

 _I so love Katherine as the big sister.. She loves him dearly but she's not afraid to lay into him when he needs it. And that's the last time you'll have to see Damon and Meredith together that way..._

 _Happy Friday the 13th!_

 _Thank you Eva for everything. Your brilliant mind and apt suggestions always makes my stories so much better. Love you._

 _Title: 'Silver Springs' by Fleetwood Mac_

 _'The Unforgiven' updated yesterday. 'Tears in Heaven' will be updating this weekend too. My one shot, 'Love Story' is available to read too if you like to cry. Please give those a read and don't forget to review._

 _Please stay safe and have a lovely weekend. Until next week..._


	10. Wait

"Where did you sneak off to?" Meredith asks, linking her arm in mine.

"I just went outside for a breath of fresh air."

"I would've come along." Raising on her tiptoes, she presses a kiss to my lips.

"It tastes like you got a little more than fresh air?"

"I walked to the bar down the street. I only had one drink." Knowing that I can't make a scene here, I pat her forearm that's wrapped around mine. I share a look with her before we go to find Charlie so we can get in the buffet line to eat. After filling our plates, I look around till I see Stefan. And since Caroline doesn't loathe Meredith like Katherine does, I press my hand to Meredith's lower back to guide her towards their table. Once we're seated, I pick up my fork and dig in.

Reaching over, I give Caroline's hand a light squeeze. "This was really a great idea, Care. Thank you."

"Of course. You know how much I love your mom and dad."

"I do know that. I just really appreciate the effort you went through to organize this."

"Katherine did help me."

"I know and I'll thank her too. But right now I'm going to eat." I let go of her arm and take another bite of my roast beef and mashed potatoes. I'm sure it's purely coincidental but having my favorite comfort food makes me happy for the first time today.

"I have to agree with Damon. You really went all out Caroline. Next time, call me. I'd be glad to help," Meredith mentions, taking a bite off of her plate. That sends warning shivers up my spine. She definitely has love and marriage on her mind. I do remember when she told me that she didn't want to have anymore children. Eventually that's something I want in my life. I just don't know when that will be. Mostly, I want that with Elena. It's always been her when I thought about the mother of my someday children.

I'm aroused from my thoughts when I feel a tug on my hair. "Hello Katherine." Turning my head, our eyes meet. Smiling tightly, I stand up to pull out the chair beside mine.

Once she's seated and pulls the chair up close, she grabs my leg under the table, squeezing tightly. "Hello Meredith, Charlie." I know full well that the only reason she's squeezing it is to stop herself from spouting off at Meredith.

"Katherine?" I can tell by the tone of her voice that she's none too happy that Kat sat down with us either. There is no love lost between these two, I think to myself, chuckling a little bit.

"What?" Tilting her body so our sides are rubbing together, she flashes that fake smile of hers that I know all too well. Rolling my eyes on the inside, I turn to my sister. Of course, she doesn't even try to hide the roll of her eyes.

"May I have this dance, Katherine?" Standing up, I offer her my hand. Taking hers in mine, I lead her to the center of the room then pull her into my arms. We dance slowly to the music that the band is playing.

Pulling back slightly, I raise an eyebrow. "Do you really have to make your contempt for her so obvious?"

"What you see in her, I'll never know?" Shaking her head in dismay, we continue to swirl around, letting the music guide our steps.

"I love you Katherine but it is my life," I remind her.

Pursing her lips with a little disdain, she raises an eyebrow. "Fine, I'll behave myself."

"Thank you and thank you for helping Caroline plan this get together. I don't know where you found the time to do this."

"Don't shoot the messenger but it was because Elena helped me out. If not for her, I wouldn't have been able to."

Sighing exaggeratedly, I give her a look. "Fear not, I have no intention of shooting the messenger, your words, not mine."

When I feel a tap on my shoulder, we stop. Seeing Enzo holding out his arms for his wife, I step back, letting him take over. Just as I start to walk back to my table, Hannah takes me by the hand, pulling me back to the dance floor. I can't help but smile because I'm completely over the moon for my niece.

"Dance with me uncle Damon."

"Your wish is my command." I step back and bow as a gentleman about to take his lady fair for a spin. Soon we're whirling around animatedly, so much so that we bump right into her mom and dad.

"Mama, I'm dancing too, see?" she squeals.

Smiling at me and lovingly at Hanna, she leans over, pressing her lips to Hanna's ear. "I want a dance when you're done with uncle Damon."

"Okay mama." Wrapping her arms around my waist, I let her put her feet on top of my shoes so we can continue our dance without knocking into anyone else.

"Does daddy get a dance too, Hannah Bea?" Enzo asks, smirking at her.

"Uncle Damon, do you mind if I dance with mama and daddy?"

"No I don't mind, sweetheart." Stooping over, I give her a kiss on the cheek before letting her go. I watch the three of them for a few minutes before walking back to our table. Meredith and Caroline have disappeared causing me to breathe a sigh of relief.

"So how are things? You and Meredith seem better?"

"Yeah, we're okay for now." Not wanting Stefan to know what Katherine told me about her, I keep my mouth shut.

"And what about _her?"_ I instinctively know that he's talking about Elena. Staring into nothing for a few seconds, I finally look at Stefan when he clears his throat.

"I don't know Stef. I know that I need some answers but I haven't been very nice to her. I just wish I could turn back time and I don't know if she'll give me those answers or not after everything I've done to make her feel unwelcome?"

"I have no idea what to tell you. Just hang in there. Don't be cruel as the song goes though, Okay?"

"No, I won't but thanks Stefan. Let's get dad and go outside for a little while." Nodding we get up and walk over to my dad. Each of us grabs and arm and the three of us walk back to that bar to share a drink, father and sons.

Raising my glass, I wrap an arm around my dad for a quick squeeze. After letting go, I knock my glass against his.

"To the best dad anyone could as for." Stef, dad and I clink our bottles together once more, then swallow it down. Although I set the bottle down, I keep my fingers wrapped around it as I remember just such a moment with her.

 _"Happy Birthday, Damon," she gushes when we walk inside Ric's bar. I look up and see a 'Happy Birthday Damon' banner hanging above the bar._

 _Stunned, I look around, awed. "You did this for me?"_

 _"I did have a little help from Jenna."_

 _"Here's the birthday boy," Ric yells, leading the bar into an extended round of applause. Although I'm momentarily speechless, a wide smile plays on my face. Lacing her fingers with mine, Elena leads me to the bar. Ric hands us a beer after we have a seat. I look to my left when I feel a hand on my shoulder._

 _"Happy Birthday," Jenna says, pressing a kiss to my cheek._

 _"Thank you for helping her with this." She nods, smiling widely. Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I give her a light squeeze._

 _"You're welcome." When I let go of her, she drops onto the barstool beside Elena. Just as I'm about to put the bottle to my lips, Elena puts her hand on my forearm, stopping me. She stands up on the edge of her stool so she's standing above me. Suddenly she's wolf whistling to get everyone's attention. Once the roar of the crowd is relatively quiet, she raises her beer while focusing her eyes on mine._

 _"To Damon, Happy Birthday," she yells, tipping her bottle to clink with mine. After we take a swallow, she lowers her lips to my ears, whispering, "I love you, Damon Salvatore."_

She lingers in almost every waking moment. I know I'm going to bust if I don't talk to someone about her. My dad and Stefan too have always been there for me when I needed a shoulder. Swallowing thickly, I turn to face my dad.

"Dad, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Damon."

"There was this girl that I was, God help me I still am, madly in love with. I don't know why I never got around to introducing her to any of you but that's water under the bridge now. To make a long story short, one day she just packed her bags and left, leaving only a letter behind," I explain, raking my hand through my hair.

"She's back and believe it or not, she works for Katherine. They've become good friends. I haven't been very nice to her." Ashamed of myself, I drop my eyes for a few seconds before taking another swallow from my beer bottle.

"Did she give you any reasons as to why she left?"

"No dad, just that it's for the best. I need to know but I'm afraid I've burned my bridges with her as they say."

"Damon, you're a Salvatore. You, more than your brother or your sister, have that innate Salvatore charm. George wasn't my biological son although I loved him as such. He had that charm too. Maybe you need to apologize to her for not being a gentleman and then try to get some answers. Maybe she had a valid reason for doing what she did? I'm not saying the method she chose was right but maybe that's the only door that was open to her when whatever it was went down. If you love this woman, you owe it to yourself to get some answers." He gives my arm a squeeze before taking another swallow his own drink. Salvatore's are touchy-feely people.

"Thanks dad." Once we finish a couple of bottles of beer, the three of us walk back to the celebration. Just before we go back inside, I turn to face my dad, embracing him in a hug, telling him that I love him.

"I love you too, Damon." While in his embrace, he pats my back lovingly. I close my eyes and breathe him in allowing my troubles to lift if only for these few moments when I'm wrapped in his arms.

* * *

"We're going to mom and dad's for breakfast then we'll head back to Denver." Driving towards my parents home, I roll down the window to breathe in the fresh air. Last night was a fabulous celebration for them. Caroline with Katherine's help did an amazing job planning this and keeping a secret from them. They were very surprised. I drive till we near my parents house, pulling over to the side of the road.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go to visit my brother's grave. You can drive the rest of the way to my folks house. It's only about a mile and a half down the road."

Looking disgruntled, she tightens her lips. "I don't know which is your parent's house." Dropping my chin to my chest, I take a deep breath since I don't want to erupt.

"Meredith, for heaven's sakes, it's just up the road. When you see the mailbox with their name on it, it's the first right turn after that. Their house is about a mile down that gravel road.

"Fine. But if we get lost, it's on your head."

"Don't be so melodramatic, Meredith, you're not going to get lost. Stop acting like a child."

"Damon!"

"I'm going to say hi to George. I'll meet you and Charlie at their house in a little while." Having had enough, I push the car door shut after she gets behind the wheel. After watching them drive off, I start walking towards the place where my brother was laid to rest.

George liked wildflowers so mom planted a whole garden full of them in the area surrounding his grave. Plus the mountains around Durango are full of them. It's truly beautiful here. George has a somewhat secluded spot. A big oak tree stands guard, shrouding his headstone in shadow. There is a stream nearby too. He loved this spot when he was alive. Often times, I would find him out here reading a book or snuggling with his girlfriend. He was really a wonderful big brother. It was George who taught me how to play baseball. I was only eight when he died so he never really got to see me play very much.

There are times I really miss him a lot. Especially when the anniversary of his death nears. He was mom's first born. My dad adopted him after he and mom married. As such, he carried the Salvatore name. He and my dad were buddies, often going fishing together or working on rebuilding an old 1930's 'Al Capone' car. They were really tight.

"Hi George." Closing my eyes for a moment to gather my wits about me, I stoop down, setting the bouquet of flowers I bought on the ground above him. Part of the reason I went to nursing school was to be able to take care of people and hold their hands during times of stress and anguish and yes when they're taking their last breaths.

"I miss you, George. I wish you were here so I could ask you to give me some advice. I've talked to you about Elena before. I still love her so much, George, and I don't know what to do. It just feels like my personal life is in a shambles. Meredith was fun but I don't want forever with her. From what Katherine told me, that is exactly what she's thinking. Although I don't want to hurt her, I can't be the man she wants me to be," I blurt out, scrubbing my hand down my face.

"Elena is back in Denver. I think I may have pushed her too hard. It was never my intent, I promise you that, but I'm afraid that I hurt her. I can't forgive myself for that. Somehow I need to make it right with her. Even though I was a little kid when you left, you always taught me that I should treat others with respect and kindness. Help me, George. What should I do?" Running my fingertips along the scrollwork of his headstone, I stop only when they touch his likeness etched beautifully in the granite

"I'm going to go now. I'll come to visit you again soon. The distance of time helps numb the pain, George but it never quite goes away. Bye for now." I keep the pads of my fingers on his image, not wanting to let go just yet. Closing my eyes, I stand up and walk away, my heart heavy with loss.

* * *

When I finally walk into the kitchen, my mom looks up from what she's doing. "Damon, you're here." After pushing the kitchen door closed, I walk over to her.

"I just wanted to say hi to George while I was visiting."

Cradling my cheeks with her palms, she smiles, although I can see the melancholy in her eyes. "He'd be very proud of the man you've become."

"Thanks mom." Smiling tightly, I know that he's probably looking down the end of his nose at me.

"Are you hungry?"

"Famished."

"I just put breakfast on the table. Let's go eat." Linking her arm with mine, we walk outside together to where the breakfast buffet is set up.

"Wow! Did you make all of this?"

"Katherine and Caroline helped," she says as she pulls my face down so she can whisper something in my ear.

"That girlfriend of yours wouldn't know her way around the kitchen if it knocked her in the ass." My eyes grow wide when I hear her swear. She put soap on my tongue more than once when I was growing up for using such language.

Chuckling aloud, I raise an eyebrow at her. "Mom!"

"Well, it's true," she scoffs, laughing herself.

Wrapping her in a hug, I shake my head. "I know it's true. I love you mom."

"I forgot your favorite muffins. They're in the microwave." We walk back inside the house for a moment. After handing me a platter full of peaches and cream muffins, we go outside again, joining everyone else. I look around till I see Meredith seated beside Caroline. When our eyes meet, she flashes that phony smile of hers. I've seen it before when she rounds on some of her patients. Unable to smile back, I drop my eyes away from her and walk to the buffet table to set the muffin platter down, grabbing one for myself before taking a seat beside Enzo and Stefan.

Once we finish breakfast and help mom and dad clean up, we say our goodbyes. With promises to come to visit again soon, I get behind the wheel and start driving down the highway. I decide to take the route that leads us to ' _Royal Gorge'_ so Charlie can see it.

"We're going to go across the Royal Gorge Bridge, Charlie. How does that sound?" I raise my eyes, glancing at him through the rear view mirror.

"Yeah, that sounds great," he mumbles, his face buried in his I pad.

"Royal Gorge is one of the deepest gorges in Colorado, the Royal Gorge is approximately 10 miles long with the Arkansas River running through it with granite walls towering over 1,000 feet. The gorge was created some three million years ago when a trickle of water first began to slowly carve a canyon out of the solid granite bedrock. That trickle is now the raging Arkansas, one of America's longest rivers. The Arkansas river continues to carve its depth at a rate of about a foot every 2,500 years. The Royal Gorge is considered a world wonder with its rare red granite formations and has been referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas by the first American Explorers. The width at the bottom of the gorge is no more than 40 to 50 feet," I explain as I'm driving along.

"I've been there several times so I know a lot about it. Did you know, Charlie, that some of the earliest and largest dinosaurs roamed the Royal Gorge Region over 100 million years ago? One of these residents was the brontosaurus, among the largest of all the earth's inhabitants. This was the original "Jurassic Park!" Paleontologists have discovered some of the most complete dinosaur remains less than three miles from the Royal Gorge Bridge. Dating from 100-200 million years ago, fossil bones found here include the allosaurus, stegosaurus, and comptosaurus."

"I like dinosaurs."

"Well Charlie, one is never too old to like dinosaurs" Glancing at Meredith just in time to see her rolling her eyes at me, I can only shake my head. Not wanting to start a fight with her, I brush it off for now.

"The story of how the Royal Gorge was discovered is as compelling as how the Royal Gorge Bridge was built. The first to visit were Native American Indians, who hunted and camped in sheltered canyons and mountain parks of this Colorado region. The Ute Indians, a mountain tribe, frequently wintered in the Canon City area. In fact, many of the Plains Indians including Sioux, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Blackfeet and Comanche followed the buffalo herds as they moved to the mountain meadows during spring and summer.

Spanish missionaries knew of the Royal Gorge as early as 1642. Fur traders, trappers and mountain men visited the region during the 1700s. In 1806 the first American Explorer to the area, Lt. Zebulon Pike, for whom Pikes Peak Mountain is named, established a camp at the eastern portal of the Royal Gorge and he along with a scouting party explored the canyon. In 1877, silver was discovered on the upper waters of the Arkansas River. This sparked a controversy between two competing railroads: The Rio Grande and the Santa Fe. Both wanted rights to build the new freight railroad to carry the ore down from the mountains.

From dynamiting competitor's railway efforts to exchanging gunshots, the Royal Gorge War eventually evolved into a six-month court battle. The Santa Fe Railroad was unhappy with the results and hired legendary gunfighter and U.S. Marshal Bat Masterson and part of his Kansas posse to help protect their crew and materials, while the Rio Grande countered with a 200-man posse led by former Governor A.C. Hunt. The Rio Grande eventually won out.

The Royal Gorge Bridge hangs high above Colorado's wild Arkansas River. It is America's highest suspension bridge and a legendary feat of engineering renowned the world over. Built in 1929 for $350,000, the cost today would easily exceed $20 million. It was a world wonder then and still is today. For those who venture across it, whether walking or driving, the experience is priceless.

Construction on the bridge began June 5, 1929 and was completed November 1929 with no serious injury or death of workers. The project was financed by a man named Lon P. Piper who was president of the Royal Gorge Bridge and Amusement Company with George E. Cole as the Chief Engineer. O.F. Copes was the north side construction superintendent, Fred Rice was the south side construction superintendent, and O.K. Peck served as consulting engineer throughout the construction project," I finish just as I take the turn north to Canon City.

Out of nowhere, Meredith suddenly blurts out, "I don't know how your parents can live out there in the forest. I hate nature!"

"You're an anomaly. Who hates nature?" Without bothering to hide the roll of my eyes, I give her a look. Once we arrive, I park the car and jump out. Meredith decides to go into the gift shop while Charlie and I walk out onto the bridge.

"That's quite a drop, isn't it?" Staring down at the river which is a mile below us, I'm in awe of the canyon beneath us. It reminds me of a poster I saw once and haven't forgotten.

 _'In the confrontation between the river and the rock, the river always wins... not through strength but by perseverance'._

When I turn to look at him, Charlie looks a little green around the gills.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just scary being up this high."

"They have a zip line here. I've ridden it several times." In the space of a millisecond, all my thoughts center on Elena.

 _"Are you sure about this?" I ask as the two of us wait our turn to ride the zip line at Royal Gorge._

 _"I'm positive. You'll love it, baby. You'll feel like you're flying. It's the most amazing adventure," she gushes, giving my hand a squeeze. Once we're both outfitted appropriately for our safety, she wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me with such intensity, I almost feel my knees weaken._

 _"What was that for?"_

 _"I just love you so much, Damon."_

 _"I love you more."_

 _"That's not possible," she replies, smiling._

 _"It's your turn miss," the attendant tells Elena._

 _Taking a deep breath, I look deeply into her beautiful eyes. "You go, I go." With a kiss and squeeze of her hand, I watch as she's sent flying down the zip line, screaming excitedly. I follow right behind. When we meet again on the other side, I loop my arms around her middle, pull her close and kiss her like it's our last day on earth._

When I feel a tug on my tee shirt, I'm snapped out of my reverie. "Damon, can I do the zip line sometime?"

"That'll be up to your mom and dad, buddy." Pressing my palm to his back, I nudge him to start walking back to the parking lot. Meredith is waiting for us with a scowl on her face.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm bored. I want to get home. I was supposed to meet with Dr. Matthews for cocktails tonight."

"Oh really?" Shaking my head, I turn away from her.

"Why would you make a date with her when you knew you were going to be with me this weekend?"

"I didn't dream you'd go all touristy on us," she sneers, clearly agitated with me. Once I unlock the car door, she jumps in and slams the door shut behind her.

"I thought Charlie would enjoy stopping here. Far be it from me to try to entertain your child," I snap right back at her when I slide into the drivers seat. Once I turn on the ignition, I take the quickest route back to Denver.

"You don't have to hurry now. I texted Elise that I wouldn't make it." Seemingly having second thoughts, she reaches over to give my thigh a squeeze.

"Don't," I warn, shaking my head from side to side.

"Are you mad at me?" she purrs, again running her fingers along my thigh, stopping only when she cups my groin. My mouth drops open because Charlie is in the backseat.

"He's sound asleep, you don't have to worry." When she squeezes my junk, I suck in a breath, wrap my hand around her wrist before shoving her arm away from me.

"I will not do this in a car with your son in the backseat. What's the matter with you?"

"Don't be such a prude," she scoffs, inching her hand towards me again.

"NO, Meredith. Keep your hands to yourself."

"Fine!" Scrunching her face in disgust, she turns to stare out of the window.

"Seriously, what's the matter with you? I'm not going to let you fondle my junk when your kid is in the car, Meredith. It's not the least bit appealing. As a matter of fact, it's a big turn off."

"Yes, Damon. You've made your point!" Glaring at me, she grabs her phone and start texting. Probably telling her girlfriends what a 'prude' I am. Rankled, I have to bite back every urge to let her have it. We maintain an uneasy silence the rest of the drive back to Denver. We stop only to fill the gas tank and use the bathroom. It's just after eight in the evening by the time I pull into her driveway.

"Are you coming in?"

"No, I'm going home."

"Damon?"

"I'm going home. Goodnight Charlie." He tells me the same as he climbs out of the backseat. Once they're safely inside, I back out of her driveway and head over to Ric's bar because frankly, I could use a drink.

* * *

"Hey buddy," Ric greets me, beer in hand when I take a seat at the bar.

"How was the anniversary?"

"It was good till the drive home today." Raising my mug, I chug back a big gulp of my beer.

"Enlighten me." After handing a drink the guy a couple of chairs away from me, he gives me his full attention. Just as I start to tell him about the weekend, I stop short when I hear _her_ voice.

"She's here?"

"Yep." Using his eyes, he motions to where she's seated. When I turn around to look, I feel my heart twist. She has an arm linked with his while they're laughing with another couple in the booth they're sitting in. As big of a city as Denver is, how in the hell do we keep running into each other.

Feeling the dagger twist painfully, I turn my attention back to Ric. "Have you talked to her yet?"

"Yes. She asked about Jenna and Sloan." After sharing a look with me, he picks up his bar rag, using it to wipe the countertop.

"And you," he adds, raising his eyes to mine.

"She did?" Swallowing thickly, I take a deep breath. He gives me a nod then goes to wait on some of his other customers. When I see her get up and walk towards the restrooms, I follow, hoping to catch her for a few seconds when she comes out.

Once she does, I latch onto her right arm, not wanting to hurt her other arm again. Her eyes widen in fear till she sees that it's me who grabbed onto her.

"Damon?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, Elena. I feel terrible that I hurt you. Can you ever forgive me?"

"I.. I...," she struggles with the words. She closes her eyes for a moment almost as if she's steeling her resolve.

"We're not the same people anymore, Damon. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my table." With utmost care, I very slowly palm the side of her face with my hand.

"Please Elena, I need you to forgive me." When our eyes meet, I feel that familiar spark surge through me. I'm more certain than ever that she still cares. I can see it.

"Elena, what's taking you so... it's you," Brady snaps, interrupting our moment.

"You need to quit harassing her. She's with me now." Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he leads her away from me. Feeling the dagger twisting even deeper, I reach out to take her hand.

"No, Elena."

"Look, I know you didn't mean to hurt me. But you've made it patently obvious how you feel about me... Goodbye, Damon." Her eyes never leave mine as Brady pulls her away from me. My heart pounds wildly against my chest as I watch her disappear. Once she's out of my line of sight, I stumble backwards, bumping into the wall behind me, sliding down the wall, wondering what the hell is happening with my life.

* * *

 _What is Damon going to do? Clearly, he loves her so very much. But we all know that nothing is ever easy for Damon and Elena. They can never just be. They have to work for it and that's why we love them so much. Meredith will be gone very soon. Once she's gone, there will be much more Elena.._

 _Thank you so much Eva. I love you lots. Thank you all so very much for your follows and favorites and an especially big thank you to those of you who take those few seconds to review._

 _Chapter title: 'Wait' by M83._

 _I posted the final chapter of 'The Unforgiven' Thursday. It only needs 8 reviews to reach the 200 mark. I would appreciate it greatly if you'd help with that. 'Tears in Heaven' will update tomorrow._

 _My muse is with 'Angels Fall' right now. I think it's a really good story and it's told in Elena's voice. I can hardly wait to finish it and 'Dig' so I can share it with you all. I don't mean to tease you all but I just feel safer waiting till they're done. That alleviates the pressure of having to write something, anything just to post. I just don't want to be a writer that abandons my stories. Waiting till completion is a win all around really._

 _*Please remember to leave a review* I'll never hold my stories hostage for reviews but it would be nice to hear from some of you that follow along but never review once in awhile... And maybe if I hear from some of you, I'll update early next week so you don't have to wait two weeks for chapter 11. It's in your hands._

 _Fair warning: I work Thanksgiving eve night and Thanksgiving day night so updates may be late or nonexistent next week because although I have 'black Friday' off, altogether I'll be working five twelve hour shifts in six nights._

 _As always, stay safe and have a lovely weekend. Until next time._


	11. Words as Weapons

_Surprise! Here's this week's update because I just don't think I'll be able to do so later in the week. See you at the bottom._

* * *

"Batter up," the umpire calls aloud. It's the bottom of the ninth inning. We're one run down with Nathan on first base with one out.

"Come on, Daniel," I cheer when he steps into the batter's box. The pitcher winds up and throws a ball right over the plate. Daniel swings but, hitting an infield grounder right to the shortstop who steps on second before tossing the ball to the first baseman. Dan hit into a double play, ending the game.

Once my guys line up and congratulate the winning team, we pick up our belongings and load them in my car. When I look up, I see Meredith and Mason walking towards me. I smile when Charlie walks over to give his dad a hug. He doesn't get to see Mason as often as he'd like since his parents separated.

"Charlie, how about the two of us go to get some ice cream?" Mason asks, looking at Meredith as he does.

Excited, Charlie bobs his head up and down, obviously in agreement with his dad. I smile as I watch the two of them walk towards the concession stand.

"Good game," Meredith remarks, walking over to me. When she leans in for a kiss, I turn my face to the side.

"Um Damon, are you spending the night tonight?"

"No, I'm not. I promised Hannah that she and I would have a sleepover tonight. We're going to make popcorn and watch Disney movies." After closing the rear gate on my vehicle, I walk around to the driver's side.

"Oh, okay. Mason asked me to go to a movie with him and Charlie anyway. I guess I'll tell him that I can go," she utters, looking at her feet.

"That's good. I have to go. I need to run to the store to pick up some things for tonight. I'll talk to you soon." Jumping in the car, I turn on the ignition and shift into reverse. After giving her one more terse look, I back out of my parking spot and drive away.

* * *

As soon as I hand a bowl of popcorn to Hannah, I drop down beside her on the couch. "What do you want to watch Hannah?"

"I was thinking about watching _Old Yeller_?"

"Sure, I haven't watched that in a long time. Why don't you put it on and I'll go grab us a couple of sodas." I get up and dig through the DVD cabinet. As soon as I find it, I hand it to her before walking back into the kitchen. When I get back, I hand her a can of Sprite before dropping onto the couch beside her.

"Start the movie." I reach over and grab a handful of popcorn, stuffing it in my mouth. Reaching over, I grab her a blanket to cuddle with while I put my feet up on the coffee table. When we get to the part where the wild pigs tear into Travis and Old Yeller, she pauses the disc.

"I have to go potty. I'll be right back."

"Why don't you put your pajamas too. I'll wait for you." Picking up my soda, I take a big swig, enjoying the taste as it goes down. When she comes back, I hit play again. I happen to glance at her to see that she's chewing on her fingernails while her eyes are focused on the TV. As it gets closer to the end, I see that she has tears in her eyes. Old Yeller dying is truly the saddest Disney moment ever.

"You okay? Even with the way it ends, it's such a good movie. I still enjoy it."

"It's.. it's just so sad, uncle Damon," she blubbers, rubbing her eyes. Once she quits crying, I put ' _The Shaggy Dog_ ' on next for some comic relief. As we're watching the movie, she turns to look at me.

"Uncle Damon, how come you were mean to Elena that day?"

Stunned, I just drop my eyes for a moment. "I did tell her that I was sorry. It's grown up stuff, Hannah Bea."

"But why weren't you nice to her. She's such a nice lady. Mama likes her a lot."

"I know, sweetie. I shouldn't have grabbed her arm that way. I promise I'll be nice if I see you and her together again, okay?"

"You promise?"

"I promise." After that, she drops the subject and turns her attention back to the movie. By the time it's done, it's late and she's dozing on the other end of the couch. Smiling, I get up, taking the remote to turn off the TV and DVD player. I quickly run upstairs to turn her covers back so I can carry her up to bed. She'd snuggled into a tight little ball by the time I get back downstairs. After snapping her picture with my phone, I carefully take her into my arms, carry her to the bedroom and cover her up. I stare at her for a few moments before pressing a wispy kiss to her forehead.

"Goodnight Hannah," I whisper, turning on the night light. When I get to the bedroom door, I give her one last look then pull her door shut behind me as I stop out of her room.

* * *

"Are you going to the staff meeting tomorrow?" Natalie asks when we're finished with shift report.

"That's my intention." We walk back to the nurses desk together, I relax visibly because my shift is over.

"Have a good sleep, I'll see you there."

"You have a wonderful day, Nat," I add as I swipe my badge and step into the stairwell to head out of the hospital. I stop in the hospital cafeteria to grab something to eat before going home. As I'm walking out, I happen to notice a sign with Elena's picture and name, announcing that she'll be reading to the children tomorrow. Smiling, as an idea begins to form in my head, I have a little pep in my step when I walk outside.

When I finally get home, I peel off my clothes and step into the shower. After washing all the hospital germs off of me, I turn off the water, step out and wrap a towel around my waist. Just after closing my eyes, I hear my phone ring. Sighing because I forgot to turn the ringer off, I pick it up to see who's calling. Seeing Meredith's name flashing on the screen, I choose to ignore it and go to sleep, hoping to get lost in dreams starring ' _her'_.

 _My eyes roll to the back of my head when she takes me into her mouth. Unconsciously my hand moves to lace my fingers through her hair, using them to help her find a rhythm that sends me into the rapture._

 _"That mouth of yours, Elena," I pant, my hips raising of their own accord, working in sync with her hot, moist mouth. When she teases my tip with her tongue, a heady moan escapes my throat. Where she got that skill, I'll never know but when she deep throats me one more time, I splinter into a million shimmering pieces of pure heat, white hot and blistering. After swallowing all I have to give, she creeps back up my body, dropping a torrid kiss to my lips._

* * *

Having successfully avoided Meredith all day yesterday, I get up late and lounge around the house for a couple of hours doing absolutely nothing important. Once I'm dressed, I jump in my car to go to the hospital for my staff meeting. I take a seat next to Natalie and Mike and listen as our nurse manager goes over news of the month, patient satisfaction scores and other things. After we finish up, I suck in a breath, steel my spine and take the stairs up to the pediatrics floor so I can catch a glimpse of Elena.

When I get to the kids playroom, I see them all gathered around her, either on the floor circling her or in their wheelchairs with their IV stands next to them. When Katherine sees me, she excuses herself and walks over to me.

She crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow at me accusingly. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see her. I'm not here to make a scene, Katherine. I promise you."

"You're welcome to stay then." Smiling, she gives my forearm a squeeze as her posture softens considerably. Nodding, I turn my attention back to Elena. She has the children completely enthralled as she reads to them. Several of these beautiful children have their mouths hanging open. Elena puts so much expression into the story, changing voices, changing tones to keep the kids entranced. I recognize the one she's reading as it's the one that I read starring my cat named, Fuzzy.

As I look at her, I can't help but wonder what it would be like if we were still together. Would we have a child of our own by now? I shake off the feeling as I continue to watch her entertain the kids. When I see her wrapped left arm, only her puffy fingers visible, I frown, my heart sinking, knowing that's the arm I grabbed that fateful day at the museum. If I could go back in time and erase that confrontation, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

"What's with her arm, Katherine?" I whisper so as not to interrupt Elena.

"She told me she has some chronic pain in that arm." Although I'm certain there's more to it, I don't press her. She probably doesn't want to reveal a confidence. I'll ask if I can ever get within arm's length to have a conversation with her.

"That's too bad." After giving Katherine a tight smile, I turn my attention back to Elena and the kids. I startle a moment when I feel a hand on my shoulder. When I turn around to see who it is, I smile when I see that it's Jenna.

"Hey you? What are you doing here?" I open my arms, letting her step in before wrapping her in a big hug.

"Sloane forgot one of her books at home so I had to take it to her at school. I thought I'd run by to give Elena a little moral support."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it." I give her one more squeeze before releasing her from my arms. Mesmerized by the way she has the children completely captivated, I jump slightly when the children start a massive round of applause. I don't miss when she reaches up to wipe what I'm sure are happy tears from her eyes. Jenna, Katherine and I join in the applause. It's only then that she looks this way, an audible gasp escaping her mouth when she sees me standing here. I give her an almost imperceptible, approving nod. I can't help but smile when she gives each one of the children a book and a hug. She's really in her element here. I always knew that her heart was huge. When she finishes, the staff nurses and aides take the children back to their rooms or wherever they need to be.

Jenna wastes no time, rushing over to her, wrapping her in a hug. I keep my distance not wanting to intrude on their moment. Katherine joins the two of them and in no time all three of them are giggling. A few minutes later, Jenna says goodbye, saying she has to go to take some lunch to Ric. Katherine also takes off under the guise of having a meeting but not before whispering in my ear that I better behave myself and not upset her or she'll hear about it and hell will rain down on me. I give her a quick hug and say goodbye as she walks away.

Sucking in a breath, I steel my nerves and walk over to her. "Hi."

"What are you doing here, Damon?" she asks, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Stuffing my hands in my jeans pockets, I raise my head, peering into her eyes. "I wanted to see you."

"Why?"

"I don't know, Elena. I just needed to see you. Would you have a cup of coffee with me?"

"Damon?"

"I'm not here to upset you or cause trouble. You have my word." She stares at me for a few seconds, finally nodding her acquiescence. The pediatrics staff take turns thanking her. Once they finish, I gently press my palm to her lower back, nudging her forward.

"Starbuck's is across the street. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes." I can tell she's nervous by the way she repeatedly brushes that strand of hair behind her ear. Just as we're about to walk outside through the hospital's entrance, I turn around, my mouth dropping slightly when I see Meredith staring at me. When she starts to walk towards us, I raise my palm, stopping her in her tracks. Brushing me off, she again heads this way till I shake my head no and turn away from her. Once Elena and I are outside, we walk down the sidewalk, stopping only when we get to the crosswalk. As soon as the signal changes to walk, we continue our walk to Starbucks.

Looking around, I finally see a table. Although it's outside, at least it offers us some semblance of privacy. When she tells me what she wants, I walk inside to place our order. While I'm waiting for our order, I turn around to look outside, staring at her as the wind illuminates the chestnut color of her hair. After the barista hands me our drinks, I take a deep breath and walk outside. With drinks in hand, I take a seat facing her.

I stare at her arm a few seconds before raising my eyes to hers. "Your arm is still bothering you?"

"I tripped and fell on it so it's bothering me today. It'll be fine in a couple of days," she explains, brushing it off.

"Is there anything I can do?" I ask, placing my hand very lightly on top of her fingers, feeling the familiar spark that I always feel whenever I touch her.

Taking her drink in hand, she takes a big swallow before setting it back down. "There's nothing you can do but thank you for asking."

"Elena, I need to know why you left? I thought what we had was real, forever, why?" As I look into those big brown eyes of hers, I can see that she's warring with herself. Unable to maintain eye contact with me, she looks at her hands.

"Don't Damon, please just don't go there?"

"No, Elena, I have to know. You're still right here." Our eyes meet as I press my palm against my heart. I take a deep breath as I witness her eyes soften momentarily before she looks away.

"Elena?" Her hands fist at her sides at the same time her eyes harden and focus in on me like a laser beam.

"Damon, stop. I realized that everything we had was a façade, none of it was real. I was deluding myself that I was in love with you. I woke up that morning and realized that I didn't want my future to be with you. An opportunity to advance my career dropped into my lap, I seized it." Her voice is cold and hard. I can't help but notice that her knuckles are white from squeezing her hands into tight fists.

"It was just easier for me to disappear..." Unable to say anything, I scoot my chair backwards, the legs scraping along the cement. Standing up, I stumble away from her, my heart reeling from the dagger she just drove in with precision. Although my voice is shaky, I spew the vitriol right back at her.

"What happened to you? Who are you? You were never this cruel and calculating person."

"And neither were you," she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest, the look on her face icy cold. Feeling my insides splitting wide open, I stare back at her for a several seconds.

"Don't worry, I won't ever darken your doorstep again." Steeling my resolve, I shake my head in disgust. After giving her one more venomous stare, I stalk off, my own heart hardening more with each step I take away from her.

* * *

Elena:

"You're home," Brady remarks, sparing me a glance when he looks away from the baseball game he's watching on TV.

When he notices trails of mascara on my cheeks and my red puffy eyes, he jumps up. "What happened?"

"Damon!" My voice is hoarse and thick with tears, mournful cries continue to leave my lips.

"What did the bastard do this time? I'll kill him," he seethes, flicking off the TV.

Shaking my head back and forth, I blubber, "It wasn't him, it was me again."

"What?" he asks, skeptically.

"He told me that I was still in his heart. But I know he's with that woman and she said _'they had a child'_ when she confronted me that day in the mall. I can't ask him to leave that boy so I told him that I never loved him," I sob, collapsing to the floor, bringing Brady along with me.

"Brady, I.. I... You should have seen his face," I blurt out, my tears continuing to fall unbidden.

"ALRIGHT!" he snorts, raising his hand to give me a high five.

"How can you say that? I'll never forget the way he looked me, pain turning to sheer hatred right in front of my eyes. What have I done, Brady?" I cry, dropping my face, panting as I struggle to catch a breath, my chest heaving with pain.

"It's nothing he didn't deserve!"

"Brady, don't talk like that, I love him and now he hates me," I blubber, gasping for a breath since I'm crying so hard.

"I know you do, sweetheart,"

"Um Elena, you said that woman claimed the kid was Damon's?"

"That's what she said."

"That can't be Damon's kid. He would've been a teenager when that kid was born. And before you say anything," he shushes me, placing his fingers against my mouth lightly.

"I know he was old enough to father a child but you know as well as I do that he would've told you if he had a son," he explains, his logic making perfect sense.

"I guess you're right. I'm sure he would've told me." Reaching for a tissue, I blow my nose.

"Maybe you should talk to Katherine? Surely she'd know if he had a child or not? Have you told her about you and Damon?"

"No, and I don't want to. At least not yet. But she's not stupid, she knows that something happened between the two of us." After dabbing my tears, I scrub my hand down my face, sighing heavily.

"The die has been cast, Elena. We can commence 'operation win Damon back' if that's what you want?"

"God help me, Brady, I still love him but I don't know. What if it comes back?" I whisper, revealing my biggest fear.

"I love him too much to subject him to that."

"Then we'll deal with it, just like last time. Okay?" I don't say anything, I just run my right hand down my left arm. Nodding, I fall against his chest, closing my eyes, as he strokes my arm, whispering that everything will eventually be okay.

* * *

Damon:

Although I want to bury myself inside of Meredith, I bite back the urge. I felt guilty as hell the last time and I refuse to do it again. Despite everything that just went down with Elena, I know I have to break up with her. I don't love her. The longer I hang on, the more she'll come to believe that I really want her. I don't want to hurt either her or Charlie but this time, I need to put myself first.

Instead of going to her, I make my way to Ric's, sidling up to the bar demanding a double bourbon straight up. Without saying a work, he gives it to me. I quickly suck it down, slamming the tumblr onto the bar top.

"What's up?" Ric asks, filling my drink a second time.

"I talked to Elena today. She told me that our whole relationship was a lie and that she never loved me," I reveal robotically before downing another one.

"Don't tell me that you believe her?" he scoffs, looking at me in the eye.

"She sounded pretty damn convincing." Tightening my lips I push my empty glass towards him for another refill.

"Damon?"

"Not tonight, Ric. I just can't." After raising my hand, palm up to stop him, I shake my head back and forth so he knows that I mean it. After he slides me another glassful, I chug it down, savoring the burn all the way down my throat.

When he starts to put the bottle away, I tell him to leave it. Since I can't lose myself in a woman, I'll lose myself in Jack. Feeling both angry and despondent, I pick up the bottle and carry it with me to the booth in the back corner. Sitting down, I drop my arms on the table, shakily pouring myself another. I throw it back again and again before finally succumbing to the darkness.

* * *

Ric:

When I see Damon passed out in the corner, I walk over to him to make sure he's still breathing. He drank an awful lot tonight. Once I'm certain that he's breathing and his pulse is strong, I take the key ring out of his clasped hand. Picking up my phone, I dial her number.

"Hello?"

"Katherine, it's Ric."

"Ric? Why are you calling this time of night?" she asks, her voice sounding sleepy.

"Can you come and pick up Damon? I'm closing up but I can't leave him here. I'd take him to my house but as you know, Sloane has some of her friends at the house for a sleep over. I don't want to interrupt that," I explain, feeling bad but my daughter's needs take precedence.

"Enzo has to get up early for a wedding. I'll head over as soon as I get dressed. Did he say anything to you?"

Sighing heavily, I pull the phone away from my mouth for a moment. "It's a woman. Her name starts with an E, ends with a Lena."

"Elena? Why?"

"That's something you'll have to discuss with him, Katherine."

"Okay. I'll be there shortly," she adds, hanging up. Putting the phone down myself, I walk back over and take what's left of his bottle, dumping it down the sink. Once I'm done cleaning, I collapse on the opposite seat in Damon's booth, wondering why Elena would have done this. I know love when I see it and what these two had together was damn near perfect. I don't believe for a moment that what she told him was the truth. Yawning widely, I startle when I hear a knock at the door. Standing up, I unlock it so Katherine can come in.

Once she sees him, she runs over to his booth. After making sure he's still breathing, she gives him a shove with her hand.

"Damn it, Damon!" Turning to face me, she bristles. When she pulls at the short hairs on the back of his neck, I bristle myself, knowing that it hurts to have those hairs tugged.

"He better have a damn good explanation for this," she grumbles, shaking her head.

With Katherine leading the way, I pick him up, throwing him over my shoulder to carry him to her car. After opening the door for me, Katherine steps back so I can put him inside and buckle his seatbelt.

"Thanks for calling Ric. You're a good friend to him. I, however, will pummel you if you ever let him drink this much again. Are we clear?"

"Come on, Kat. You know Damon better than anyone. I don't know what Elena said to him today but it sounds like she chewed him up and spit him out. Personally I don't believe a word of what he said that she said. I saw them together, Kat. They were very much in love. I just wish I knew why Elena left?" Sighing heavily, she looks at me and then at Damon, shaking her head when her eyes meet mine again.

"I intend to have a word with both of them. I don't know what's going on either but I intend to find out. I better get going. Goodnight Ric." She starts to roll up the window, pausing for a minute to look at me again.

"He may need you to pick up the pieces tomorrow because I'm going to kill him," she adds, jumping in the car, waving when she pulls away from the curve. I watch until Katherine turns a corner and disappears from sight, glad I'm not in his shoes.

* * *

 _For those of you that were angry and down right hostile when reviewing anonymously the last chapter, why? What does such vitriol accomplish?_

 _Damon should be sensitive, he's a nurse after all._ _If he wasn't compassionate, empathetic and caring, he couldn't do what he does. We quite literally have people's lives in our hands. You can't know the rush of adrenaline that happens when you're in the middle of a life and death situation unless you've been there too._

 _How can you say this story is entirely predictable when half of it is still left to be revealed? If you hate my stories, no one is making you read. No one is stopping you from writing your own and doing whatever it is you want to do with the characters. If you want to give up reading my stories based on one or a few chapters of one story, that's your choice of course but isn't that like judging the many based on the actions of the one?_

 _And to clarify and I'm sorry I didn't write it more clearly: Damon feels bad that he hurt her PHYSICALLY which is why he's been trying to apologize. He's NOT a batterer. He absolutely was NOT apologizing for being angry. He has/had every right to be angry that she left him behind. He's been angry at her for nearly every chapter already. How can it be a Damon and Elena story if he never forgives her?_

 _And to those of you that have loyally followed and reviewed and made this a favorite and have become people that I consider friends, THANK YOU SO MUCH. It's your thoughts and support that motivate and encourage me to keep writing DE stories._

 _Katherine rocks! We're on the eve of his 'official' breakup with Meredith. Elena will have a much more prominent role once she's gone.._

 _And yes, I truly believe that Old Yeller's death is the saddest ever Disney moment. He was real, Mufasa, Bambi's mom were cartoons..._

 _Thank you so much Eva. You know I love you so much._

 _Chapter title: 'Words as Weapons' by Seether_

 _I can't wait to share 'Dig' starring 'Indiana'_ _Salvatore..._

 _'Tears in Heaven' and this story both have quite a bit left to unfold. Once December arrives, I'll start posting my Christmas stories._

 _Stay safe and have a wonderful day. Thank you all again. This is your chapter for this week since I work several work shifts coming up. Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans._


	12. Wake Up

When I feel someone poking me in the chest, I wake up with a groan, feeling my brain throbbing inside my cranium. Seconds later as I struggle to open my eyes, she pulls the curtain open, letting the sunlight intensify the pounding in my head.

"What the hell, Katherine?" I murmur, burying my face in the pillow. The next move she makes is to pull the covers off of me. Exhaling heavily, I reach down to pull them back up as I'm only wearing my boxers.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before," she scoffs, pulling the covers down again, this time taking my pillow too. Having had enough, I fly out of bed, but nearly collapse as my brain continues to pound inside my head.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she levels a continent-destroying stare at me. "Serves you right." Staring up at her from my end of the bed, I just shake my head.

With my brain in a daze, I barely remember anything from last night. "How did I get here?"

"Ric called me well after midnight to come to get you."

"Why? He usually lets me crash at his house." Grimacing, I reach up to press my palms firmly against my pulsating temples.

"Sloan had friends over. He didn't want those little girls to see you like that. So here's the way it's going to play out, Damon. I'm going to leave so you can shower and dress and then the two of us are going to have a serious conversation. Do you understand?" Unable to hide my eye roll, she gives me a knock upside the head, causing me to groan as I slide off the bed and onto the floor.

"What the fuck?" I yell, slowly rising to my feet.

"You will not use that kind of language in my home. Now get into the shower, you stink!" After giving me another caustic stare, she walks out of the room. Once I shower and put on a pair of Enzo's jeans and a tee shirt, I swallow thickly and head downstairs to face the music. With a very slight shake of my head, I push open the kitchen door and walk inside. She's sitting at the table with a cup of coffee.

"Have a seat." She stands up to grab another cup of coffee, practically shoving it in my hands before sitting back down.

"Talk," she demands.

"Katherine, come on, I don't want to talk."

"I called Elena this morning. Unfortunately she had plans and couldn't join us. I'm not stupid, Damon. Whatever caused your spiral last night has something to do with her. Now talk."

"I will only tell you that yes, at one time, Elena was someone that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." Unable to maintain her stare, I drop my eyes to the coffee cup in front of me.

"Damon?" she whispers, reaching over to give my forearm a squeeze.

"But that's all over now. That's all I'm going to say about it." I raise the mug, finishing off what's let of my coffee. Standing up, I put it in the sink.

"You can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?" she adds, getting up to stand beside me.

"I can't, not about this, not today." When I see understanding in her eyes, I drop my chin to my chest.

"Damon?" She then reaches over, raising my face with her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Katherine. I'm going to go home now."

"Your car is at Ric's place. I'll take you over there to get it." I watch as she walks out of the kitchen to get her purse. When she comes back, I realize that I haven't seen Hannah yet.

"Where's Hannah?"

"She went with Enzo to set up the wedding flowers. I'll pick her up after I drop you off." Nodding, I follow her outside, climbing into the passenger seat.

"Buckle your seatbelt," she says, raising her eyebrows at me. I do so, turning to stare out of the window as we drive along, my thoughts on her. Even as angry as I was yesterday, I know they were just words. I know that I could never hate Elena.

* * *

By the time I get back to my place, it's early in the afternoon. I talked to Ric for a little while then drove around to try to clear my head. What I didn't expect was to have Meredith waiting in my driveway when I pulled in. She's the last person I need to deal with today. Dropping my forehead against the steering wheel, I just sit there for a few moments till I hear her rapping on the car window. When I look up, she has her hands on her waist, her stance antagonistic. Although I really didn't want to get into this with her today, there's no sense in putting it off any longer. I take a second to steel my nerves before finally getting out of the car. Our eyes meet for a long few seconds, the reverie broken only when I hear a bird chirp. After sucking in a needed breath of air, I step around her to walk into my house. I hear her huff aloud and then I hear footsteps as she follows behind me.

Sighing heavily because I know what I have to do, I pull open the refrigerator door to get myself a bottle of cold water. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No, I want to know what's going on between you and that, that woman?" I don't miss the angry tone of her voice.

"Nothing is going on between Elena and me." Looking into her eyes, I continue, "But I can't say the same about us. Have a seat Meredith." I pull out one of the kitchen chairs for her before sitting down myself.

"What do you mean?"

"We can't tip toe around this anymore. I like you, Meredith, I do, but I'm not in love with you. There's never going to be a future with us together."

"What are you saying?"

"Meredith, don't make this any harder than it already is. I don't want to hurt you, I really don't but I can't be with you anymore." As hard as it is, I keep my gaze focused on her.

"I..I don't believe you. We were just fine till that woman came into the picture," she scoffs. When she reaches for my hands, I pull back not wanting to give her any false hope.

"Maybe seeing her again was the spark but I've never been in love with you. We had fun while it lasted but it's over now. I'm sorry, I really am but I can't keep up the charade."

"Who is she to you?"

"She's the one who will always hold my heart. Whether she and I will ever be together, I don't know, but what I do know is that I still love her." Seeing no benefit in lying to her, I tell her the cold hard truth, holding nothing back. I think she finally understands because I see her eyes welling up with tears. I get up to hand her a tissue.

"I should leave," she blubbers, crying harder now.

"Calm down first okay? I don't want you to have an accident. One more thing, Meredith. I would like to talk to Charlie myself. Can I take him for pizza after the game tomorrow? I'll bring him home afterwards." I don't miss how her shoulders visibly sag at the mention of his name. After giving me one last look, she nods.

"I'll tell him that you'll bring him home tomorrow. Goodbye Damon," she somehow manages to say through her tears.

"Goodbye." I drop my eyes as she walks away, raising my eyes only when I hear the door open. After pulling it open, she pauses, turning to give me one last, now scathing glance before slamming the door shut behind her.

* * *

Needing to talk to someone, I pick up my phone to call him. He's always been there when I needed him. After dialing the number, all I can do is wait for him to answer. Relief flows through me when he picks up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi dad."

"Hello son. How are you?"

"Truth be told, I'm kind of a wreck."

"How can I help?" I can hear the concern in his voice.

"I broke up with Meredith. Um.. I talked to Elena. She told me everything before was all a lie, that she never really loved me. As much as it hurt in that moment, I think she was lying. She couldn't fake what we had, dad. I can't explain it, it's just a gut feeling I have." Closing my eyes tightly, I wait a few seconds before continuing.

"I don't know what to do next?"

"Whatever she's hiding, maybe she's afraid of telling you the truth?"

"I don't know dad. I mean, we shared something really special and beautiful. I want that again but I don't think she wants it anymore," I utter, raking my hand through my hair.

"If you want my advice, don't give up on her unless and until she tells you with absolute certainty that she doesn't want anything to do with you. You're a Salvatore, we aren't quitters. George fought every step of the way. You know that," he reminds me.

"Yeah he did."

"Damon, your mom is calling so I have to go. I'm here whenever you need to talk, okay?"

"Thanks dad. Goodbye." After clicking off the phone, I sigh heavily, collapsing onto the couch behind me. I drop my face into my hands, trying to relax. Once I do, I lay down onto the couch, covering my eyes with my forearm, my mind swirling with everything Elena as I drift off to sleep.

 _"Damon, Stop," she laughs hysterically as I tickle her unmercifully._

 _"You want me to stop?" Not waiting for an answer, I start to nuzzle her neck with my lips, knowing how sensitive she is there. As she squirms and writhes beneath me, I tease her ribs with my fingertips till she's nearly convulsing with laughter._

 _"Please stop," she pants. Finally relenting, I still my fingers and raise my face from her neck. When she turns those fiery chocolate eyes on me, my dick twitches. Shaking off a shiver, I drop my lips to hers, kissing her till I the need to breathe forces me to pull back. After staring into her eyes, I lower my lips to her ear, sucking the lobe into my mouth, nibbling on it with my teeth. Letting go with a plopping sound before whispering, "I love you, Elena."_

 _"I love you too. Reaching up, she cradles my cheeks with her palms, forcing me to look directly into her eyes._

 _"Make love to me, Damon." Sucking in a heady breath, I lift another blistering kiss from her lips before standing up, lifting her into my arms and carrying her upstairs to my bedroom._

* * *

"Great game, Charlie," Mason remarks when he and Meredith walk onto the field towards the two of us.

Smiling at his son, he gives his shoulder a squeeze. "Are you ready to go buddy?"

Charlie looks at me for a moment before turning to face his dad. "Um, Damon is taking me out for pizza. He's going to bring me home when we're done."

After glancing at Meredith, Mason turns back to Charlie. "Your mom didn't say anything to me."

"I'm sorry. It slipped my mind." Although her eyes stay focused on Charlie, she tells me not to keep him out for too long.

"We're just going to have something to eat. We shouldn't be more than an hour, hour and a half."

"Okay, I'll see you later, sport," Mason adds, ruffling his hair.

"Dad?" he scoffs, reaching up to straighten his hair.

"Bye now," they tell Charlie as the two of them walk off together. Charlie decided he'd rather have Chinese food so I took him to my favorite place. Once we place our orders, I turn to look at him.

"I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay?"

"Charlie, your mom and I broke up. I'm not going to be hanging around your house anymore. Obviously, I'll still be your baseball coach but more than that, I'd still like to be your friend."

"You and my mom aren't going out anymore?"

"No Charlie, we're not but I really hope we can still be friends."

"Do you promise you won't get mad at me?" he asks, looking a little pensive.

"I promise, why?"

"I was kind of hoping you would. I want my mom and dad to get back together," he confesses, dropping his eyes from mine.

"You wanted us to break up?"

"Is that bad?"

"No, it's not bad, not bad at all. There's nothing wrong with you wanting your folks to get back together," I reassure him, giving his forearm a light squeeze.

Holding my hand out to shake his, I tilt my head slightly. "Friends?" Nodding vigorously, he smiles and shakes my hand.

"Friends." Just then our food arrives. We talk about baseball and the coming football season, he doesn't mention his mother at all which makes me happy. When we finish, I pay the bill and take him home.

* * *

Katherine:

"Hello?"

"Elena, it's Katherine. I was wondering if we could talk?"

"Um.. What's this about Katherine?" she asks, her voice sounding anxious.

"It's about you and Damon. He was drunk to the point of passing out the other night. I had to get up at one in the morning to pick him up from Ric's."

"Oh no! I hope he's okay?"

"He is, Elena. He did mention that you two had something once?"

Although her voice now sounds distant, I still hear her. "I'm sorry Katherine but that's rather personal."

"Elena, please? I just want to help."

"I know, Katherine but sometimes things can't be fixed."

Sighing, I pull the phone away from my lips for a second. "Are you absolutely sure? He still cares, Elena, so much."

"I'm sorry, Katherine but yes, I'm sure. I was going to call you anyway. I'm not going to be available for a few days because my brother flew in from Las Vegas. He's staying with me and Brady. We're going to take him sightseeing so he can see the ' _Stanley Hotel'_ in Estes Park. ' _The Shining'_ is Jeremy's favorite movie."

"Alright Elena. Have a good time with your brother and I'll see you when you get back."

"Thank you, Katherine. Um, before you hang up, thank you for being there for Damon," she whispers just before ending our phone call.

* * *

Damon:

"Damon, about Mrs. Keeler, I want a CBC, CMP, PT and PTT along with a D Dimer. I also want a Chest CT with PE protocol and a venous doppler ultrasound of the lower extremities to rule out a DVT. I'll be up to see her in an hour or two. The ED is really busy," she explains, hanging up the phone.

After entering all the orders Meredith gave me in the computer, I go about taking care of my other patients. Once I get all of my evening medications passed, I go back to the nurse's desk, just in time to see Meredith take a seat at one of the computers, holding Mrs. Keeler's chart.

"How are you?" I ask, taking a seat at the computer next to the one she's on.

"Actually Damon, I really don't want to discuss anything personal with you. From now on, our relationship is strictly professional. Do you understand?" After she flashes one of her trademarked phony smiles at me, she turns her attention back to the computer.

"I never wanted to hurt you, Mer."

"Don't," she adds, no turning her attention to Mrs. Keeler's chart. Looking around when I hear a call light sound, I stand up.

"I'll see you at Charlie's game Saturday." When she raises her eyes haughtily, I suck in a breath as I turn away from her and walk down the hallway to answer the call light.

* * *

A few months later:

Elena:

"Thank you so much for inviting me along, Hannah. It was really nice of you to think of me."

"You're welcome." Taking my hand, the three of us walk through the exhibits at the ' _Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys_ '. It's kind of off the beaten path. I didn't even know this place existed till Hannah asked me to join them today.

"Look at this, Elena." Grabbing my hand, she tugs me along till we get to a miniature circus display. She points out the carousel and the Ferris wheel and the train the hauls the animals when they move from town to town. There's a big top tent and the nine yards. It's really magnificent.

"Can you imagine how much time and artistry and imagination one has to have to build something this intricate? It's really outstanding."

"It is Elena. They probably need to have a whole drawer full of magnifying glasses too," Katherine chuckles, urging us to move forward. I was pleasantly surprised when I was asked to come along today. I haven't seen Damon for several weeks now. The times we have seen each other, we have kept our distance. I've seen him with other women but he's never been overly affectionate with any of them, at least not that I've seen. I know I hurt him badly and in hindsight, I would've done things differently but unfortunately, I can't turn back the clock.

"Elena, look at these." Smiling, I walk over to Hannah to look at all of the pretty dollies. I have loved dolls my entire life. My mother used to buy me the ' _Madame Alexander_ ' collectible dolls for my birthday and Christmas every year. I still have them displayed in a curio cabinet in my house. They're precious keepsakes of the all too short of time that I had my parents. They were so good to me and Jeremy. I miss them everyday as I do Damon. When Katherine squeals excitedly, Hannah and I look around till we find her, mouth hanging open at a poster for an upcoming ' _Star Wars_ ' toys exhibit.

"Oh my gosh, your father is going to have to bring me over here to see this."

"Are you a _'Star Wars'_ fanatic, Katherine?"

"I am indeed." I can't help but laugh at her exuberance. It's heart warming really to see her so giddy.

"There's a movie that will be showing when the toys are here to display too. I can hardly wait. It's called, _'Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys'._ It's a documentary that explores the groundbreaking and breathtaking world of Star Wars toys. Through interviews with former Kenner employees, experts, authors, and collectors, it looks at the toys' history, their influence, and the fond and fervent feelings they elicit today.

It says that when _Star Wars_ landed in the theaters, it introduced audiences to a galaxy filled with heroes and villains, robots and space ships, and a dizzying variety of alien life. But when the lights came up, they all disappeared...Unless you had all the toys. In which case, the adventure never had to end. In backyards, playgrounds, basements, and bedrooms, _Star Wars_ toys helped kids re-enact scenes from their favorite movies, and create entirely new dangers for Luke Skywalker and his friends to face." Turning to face me, her smile is as wide as Gibraltar.

"Hannah, I'm so excited."

"Momma has a whole room full of Stars Wars.. me.. mem.. stuff," she finally settles on.

"I think the word you're looking for is memorabilia, Hannah."

"Is that the word, momma?"

"It is. I'm hungry, how about you two?"

"I could use a bite to eat."

"There's a 'Panda Express' down the road. Let's go there. I love their String bean chicken."

"That does sound tasty." After we finish touring the exhibits, we go to Panda to eat. My arm feels achy and a bit warm so I dig my bottle of Advil out of my purse and swallow three of them quickly.

"Are you okay, Elena? You do look a little flushed."

"I'm fine. I just have a headache. Once we finish eating, they drop me off at my place. When I see Brady comfortably ensconced on the couch, I walk over and drop down next to him.

"Did you have fun?"

"I really did. But I've got a headache so I'm going to take a nap," I add, yawning deeply.

"I'll wake you up in a couple of hours so you'll be able to sleep tonight."

"Sounds good. I get up and walk down the hall to my room. After slipping into a tee shirt and sleep shorts, I climb into bed. Grimacing when I lay on that side, I quickly turn on my other side. My arms is a bit reddened and a little more swollen than usual. I use the extra pillow to elevate it before setting in and closing my eyes, drifting off to sleep in mere moments.

* * *

Meredith:

"Miss Gilbert, I'm Dr. Fell," I introduce myself when I walk into her emergency room bay. I stop when I realize it's that woman, Damon's woman. I smile on the inside knowing I'm about to get my revenge.

"It's you?!" I give her a look lbefore I notice the guy that's in the exam room with her.

"Excuse me," she murmurs, her eyes looking glazed. When I look at her chart I see that she has a 104 degree fever, along with redness and swelling in her left arm. It looks like she has cellulitis.

"How long has her arm looked like this?" I walk over and touch it lightly, feeling how hot it is to the touch.

"It started getting red a day or two ago. She didn't mention anything about having fevers. When I got home from work, she was delirious so I brought her in. She's been hospitalized with cellulitis in that arm before."

"I'm going to order some labs and blood cultures. I'm also going to have the nurse start an IV so she can get some antibiotics after her cultures are drawn. She's going to need to be admitted," I explain to the guy.

"She has a port implanted in her chest from when she had chemo."

"The nurse will be able to access her port. Then we can use it to give her fluids and medication. I'm also going to order an ultrasound just to be sure she doesn't have a clot because it's very swollen."

"She has lymphedema. It developed after her cancer treatment."

"I don't see that in her history. How long ago was that?" I ask him, rubbing my hand over my small bump. I smile on the inside when I see Elena's boyfriend staring at it. I'm sure he thinks it's Damon's. Far be it from me to dissuade him of such a notion.

"She went through treatment a couple of years ago. Plus she gets regular checkups to make sure she stays cancer free. Are you going to give her something for her fever?"

"I'm going to get her nurse to give her some Ibuprofen and also have her get the IV fluids started. Then we can start her antibiotic and get her into a room upstairs." I give him one last look before walking out of their exam room.

* * *

Brady:

By the time we get upstairs to a room, it's nearly three thirty in the morning. Once the nurse's aides get Elena settled in and her vital signs taken, a nurse named Natalie steps into our room. After introducing herself, she does her assessment, listening to Elena's heart and lungs and stuff. Grabbing an extra couple of pillows, she uses them to elevate Elena's arm. Her fever is still quite high and she remains delirious. When I walk out of the room to get a cup of coffee, I gasp slightly when I see Damon standing at the nurse's desk talking to someone.

Obviously he's given up on Elena. I recognized Dr. Fell as his girlfriend. I was more than a little surprised to see that she's pregnant. I don't want Elena to find that out till she feels better. She doesn't need the extra emotional overload right now. After getting my coffee, I go back into Elena's room. I press a light kiss to her forehead before setting into the recliner, elevating my legs. In no time, I fall asleep.

* * *

Damon:

It's nearly four forty five. Not quite three hours till I get to go home and get some sleep. I walk into the break room to get a fresh cup of coffee and use the bathroom. Once I finish washing my hands, I refill my mug then walk back out to the nurse's station. After giving Mrs. Keeler some pain medication, I take a seat at the nurses desk.

"How's your new patient, Natalie?"

"She's a sick puppy. Poor thing has almost 104 degree fever. They did give her some Ibuprofen in the ED though."

"I'm sure they did blood cultures. What about a cooling blanket if her temp doesn't come down?"

"If it doesn't, I'll call to ask for an order to use one. Dr. Fell saw her downstairs."

"Her name is familiar though, do you recognize it?" she asks, pointing to the name on the computer screen.

"Elena?" Jumping out of my seat, I practically gallop down the hall to her room. The room is dark so I use the tiny flashlight in my pocket, tiptoeing inside to see for myself. My heart sinks when I see her curled up on her side, her arm elevated on a pillow. I'm relieved to see her chest rise and fall with each breath she takes. Not knowing what to do, I just stand there for a moment, my heart thrumming chaotically against my rib cage as I stare at her. Knowing she needs her rest, I shine my flashlight one last time, my mouth dropping open when I see her boyfriend, Brady, staring back at me.

* * *

 _I know many of you suspected that she had cancer. I can assure you that she isn't going to die. No more Damon & Meredith!_

 _Thank you Eva so much for everything. I love you lots._

 _chapter title: 'Wake Up' by Plan Three_

 _Thank you all so much. I appreciate so much that you take the time to read, follow and favorite my story/stories. And a big thanks to those of you who take the time to review for me. Your reviews are what keep my DE muse alive._

 _'Tears in Heaven' is still in progress. I did post the first chapter of 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear' so please give that a look. My other Christmas story, 'When You Wish Upon a Star' isn't as long so I'm not going to start posting that till later into December. Please watch for it._

 _Please do remember to *REVIEW*_

 _As always, have a safe and wonderful weekend. And thank you again for all of your support._


	13. Kentucky Rain

"I just wanted to see her," I whisper softly to Brady. When he doesn't reply, I take a barely noticeable breath and walk out of her room. Slowly I walk back to the nurse's station.

"What was that all about, Damon?" Natalie asks, wondering why I scurried into her patient's room.

"Elena and I know each other. I just wanted to see her but she's sleeping."

"Oh, okay." I notice a shrug of her shoulders before she turns her attention back to the computer monitor.

I haven't seen as much of Elena since breaking up with Meredith. Although I've gone on a few casual dates to movies or to supper, I haven't gone ' _there'_ with any of them. Ric has taken to calling me when she and Brady are at his bar so I don't have to see her if I don't want to. Usually I don't let that stop me from going to have a beer or a glass of finely aged boubon. Mostly we've just seen each other in passing. Katherine set up a couple more events for Elena to display her books. She donated some to a women's shelter and to the Denver Children's hospital.

Katherine casually mentioned that Brady hasn't been at any of her events which surprises me because shouldn't a boyfriend be there to support her at least some of the time? I don't miss that she always wears long sleeves, no matter the temperature unless she has that left arm of hers in a sling. I'm wracking my brain trying to imagine why?

"You ready to give me report?" Danielle asks, giving me a nudge. I didn't even realize it was that time of the morning already. After I finish with report and grab my backpack to go home, I take one more peak into Elena's room. This time both she and Brady are asleep. I don't want to disturb either of them. After blowing a soft kiss to Elena, I very quietly back out of her room. From there I walk to the time clock to swipe my badge, dodging into the stairwell when I see Meredith coming down the hallway.

* * *

Elena:

Still feeling miserable, I'm aroused when the nurses aide needs to take my morning vital signs. I still have a fever of over 102. At least my senses don't seem so hazy this morning. Glancing around, I smile when I see Brady sound asleep in the recliner. He's been such a good friend to me through the years since we met. He's always been more like a big brother to me. Taking a deep breath, I shakily stand up to go into the bathroom. Once finished, I get back into bed, hoping to get a little more sleep.

Just as I roll over and get comfortable in bed again, I hear my name. Sighing heavily, I roll my eyes before turning over in bed when I see that it's Damon's doctor girlfriend walking into the room.

"Good morning Elena," she greets me although the tone of her voice is acerbic.

"How are you feeling now that you've had a couple of doses of antibiotics?"

"Um, still pretty rough," I reply, looking at her face. After she listens to my heart, lungs and my abdomen, she steps back away from the bed.

"You're still running a high fever. So far nothing is growing in your blood cultures. That arm isn't swollen from a clot. The Doppler ultrasound was negative. I believe it to be a cellulitis brought on by your lymphedema," she explains, raising an eyebrow when she catches me looking at her mid section.

"I've been hospitalized with it before." Although I don't want her to think she's intimidating me, I don't want to look up at her so I look down at my arm as I rub it gently. When I hear the foot rest on the recliner go down, I turn my eyes to Brady. Once he finishes stretching, He stands up, stepping next to my bedside.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Bending forward, he drops a kiss to the top of my head. I don't say anything, I just shake my head.

"I was just visiting with Elena about some of her test results. Elena, I also have another reason for stopping in...,"

"What's that?" Brady asks, holding my hand.

"I wanted to talk to about your ongoing care while you're in the hospital. I just feel that given my relationship with Damon...," she begins, flaunting her belly when she pulls one side of her lab coat over to reveal an unmistakable baby bump.

"I'm going to ask another physician to take over your care." I can't help but see how she makes a show of rubbing her belly with her palm. It's not that I'm not happy about losing her as my doctor, it's when she caresses the tell-tale baby bump, that the last piece of my heart splinters beyond repair. I still love him so much but this... this is final. Even though I know that things have been over between Damon and me for a long time, somewhere deep inside, I still held onto a sliver of hope. Now I know with absolute certainty that no roads exist to lead me back to Damon.

"I.. I think that's a good idea." Sucking in a breath to try to keep my tears at bay, I squeeze Brady's hand while I try to keep my voice from cracking.

Alright then, goodbye Elena. I do hope you feel better soon." After raising an eyebrow at me, she flaunts her belly one more time for good measure. As soon as she walks out of the room, I curl onto my side and let my tears fall.

* * *

"Slide over, Elena." When I hear his voice, I raise my tear filled eyes to his, nod and slide over. When he wraps me in his arms, I lose my composure completely as my sobs fall unbidden.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he says softly, caressing my back lightly with his big, warm hands.

"It's really over, Brady," I blurt out, my voice thick with emotion.

"She clearly enjoyed showing off a little too much for my taste. I don't know what the guy sees in her!?" When I look at him, he raising an eyebrow while returning my stare.

"Oh Brady," I blubber, curling into his body as tightly as I can.

"Ssh, try to get some rest, Elena. I'll be here when you wake up." he whispers, dropping a kiss to the crown of my head. Looking at him through watery eyes, I nod my head, burrow deeper into him and close my eyes, knowing that my heart is irrevocably broken.

* * *

Damon:

"Damon, do you have something to tell me?" Katherine asks, taking a seat at kitchen table across from me.

"I don't know. Do I?" Raising my cup to my mouth, I take a sip of my coffee. I came over to the house to pick up Hannah. I'm taking her to the Denver Acquarium. In all honesty, I do try to make more time for her but I make it a point to spend at least one day a month with my only niece. We just heard that Stefan and Caroline are going to have a baby. I can't wait to be an uncle again. It'll be harder to spend time with this one though since the rest of my family lives over three hundred and fifty miles away. I never thought I'd say this and of course, I'd never admit it to Katherine but I'm really glad they live in Denver too.

"It might have something to do with the fact that I saw Meredith and Charlie in the mall a couple of days ago?"

"So?"

"Damon, she was buying maternity clothes!" I don't miss the piercing look she gives me with those big brown eyes of hers.

"You saw Meredith buying maternity clothes with Charlie?"

"I did indeed. Although her bump isn't very big yet, it's definitely noticeable. Please tell me that it isn't yours."

"Relax Katherine, it isn't mine. Charlie told me that Meredith and Mason told him that he was going to be a big brother. He also told me that his mom and dad are talking about a reconciliation now that they've made another baby." I take another sip remembering that Charlie told me all about it at our baseball game a couple of weekends ago.

"Don't you remember when I told you that I broke up with her?"

"Yes, I knew you broke up with her, but I threw up in my mouth a little when I saw that belly." I chuckle a little when I see her feign a shiver.

"Surely you've seen her at the hospital?"

"I have but she's taken to wearing a lab coat. I haven't made a point of looking at her belly. I guess I'll have to." With my eyes on hers, I take one more deep swallow of my coffee.

"What are your plans for today?"

"Well, I thought I'd run over to the store so Enzo can put a bouquet together for Elena. Then I'm going to go to see her. Brady called me that she was delirious with fever when he took her to the ER."

"She arrived just before I left yesterday morning."

"Were you her nurse again?"

"No...," I start to say, looking towards the kitchen door when I hear it swing open.

"Uncle Damon, you're here," Hannah squeals running over to give me a hug.

"Good morning to you too. Why are you still in your jammies?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Well Uncle Damon, it's because I just got up," she explains in her serious voice.

"Eat some breakfast. Then you can get dressed and we'll go to the aquarium. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great," she yawns, covering her mouth with her hand as she waits for Katherine to give her a bowl of cereal.

* * *

Once Hannah is dressed, the two us take off to go to spend the day at the aquarium. I've taken Elena there but for whatever reason, I've never taken Hannah. Once she has her seat belt buckled, I pull into traffic and drive till we get there. After finding a parking spot, the two of us go inside. It's gotten more expensive since the last time I was here. I did ask Katherine to get Elena some flowers for me too but I told her not to put my name on them. I didn't know if she'll accept them if she thinks they're from me.

"Wow, Uncle Damon, look at the mermaids," Hannah gushes when we watch them swimming around in the tank. One even gives me flirty look as we watch them swim around. Chuckling lightly, I press my hand against her back to nudge her forward so we can see some of the other things the place has to offer. Hannah is completely enthralled when we see the sharks swimming around. There's a tunnel we walk through and it's like we're walking through the ocean. It's really quite something.

After finishing up at the 'under the sea' exhibit, we go to see the North American exhibit, the wharf exhibit and the sunken temple exhibit. There's still a few things to see but she's hungry. The two of us walk into the aquarium's restaurant. The seats are arranged around a 50,000 gallon centerpiece aquarium, which allows exceptional floor-to-ceiling viewing wherever one happens to sit.

"Uncle Damon, the sign says that more than 100 species of colorful, tropical fish from the Caribbean Sea, Hawaii, South Pacific and the Indian Ocean all reside in the tank. I we're here when the diver enters the tank for one of the feedings."

Smiling at her excitement, I drop my eyes back to the menu. "What do you want, Hannah?"

"I want a hamburger and fries."

"We're in an aquarium. Shouldn't you eat some fish?" I look up, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I don't like fish!" Turning up her nose, she sets her menu down and picks up her water glass. Shaking my head, I chuckle lightly. I don't think I liked fish at her age either.

"Hi there, my name is Vicky. I'll be your waitress. What can I get for you?"

"Hello Vicky. I'll have the fish sandwich and fries. Hannah wants a burger and fries."

"Anything to drink?"

"Two vanilla milkshakes."

"Alright then. Your food will be here shortly," she says, smiling as she takes our menus. Hannah and I just sit and watch the fish swimming around as we wait for our food. It's really pretty in here.

 _"Damon, it's beautiful in here," Elena gushes, pressing her hand against the aquarium glass when a fish swims nearby._

 _"I thought you'd like it here." Stepping behind her, I wrap an arm around her middle, pulling her close enough to drop a kiss to her temple._

 _"I do. It's fantastic. Look at the shark, Damon."_

 _"I see it. Maybe sometime we can take a vacation to the Caribbean to go scuba diving. You know, maybe see a shark up close and personal," I add, flashing my eye thing at her._

 _"Are you being serious right now?" she asks, her mouth hanging open in awe._

 _"Yep!" She squeals excitedly, so loud that everyone nearby stares at us. Paying no attention to them, Elena practically leaps at me when she throws her arms around my neck, lifting a scalding kiss from my lips._

"Uncle Damon?" My reverie broken when I hear Hannah say my name. Shaking off a shiver, I look at her just as Vicky sets my plate in front of me.

"Thank you." After she gives Hannah her plate, she walks off to wait on another table.

"This is yummy," Hannah remarks, taking a big bite of her hamburger. I take a bite of my own food, nodding in agreement with her. Once we finish eating, we spend a little more time at the aquarium, stopping in the gift shop where Hannah convinces me to buy her a stuffed otter. Afterwards, I take her home. Since neither of her parents are at home, I stay with her till one of them gets back. When Enzo walks through the door about an hour later, I give Hannah a goodbye hug before going home myself.

* * *

I'm tired by the time I pull into my driveway. Exhaling a breath, I step into the living room and collapse onto the couch. Reaching over, I grab the remote, channel surfing till I find something good to watch. One is never to old for Dr. Jones so I lay back and put my feet up and start to watch ' _Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'._ The opening sequence which starred River Phoenix as the young Indiana was actually filmed in ' _Arches National Park_ ' near Moab, Utah, not far from the Utah, Colorado border. Elena and I spent a couple of days there once not long after we started to get serious about each other.

 _"It so beautiful here," Elena exclaims in awe as we walk the trail to view 'Delicate Arch'._

 _"Delicate Arch' is actually on the Utah license plate," I tell her._

 _"I noticed. It's just so picturesque, almost surreal in how it's sits up there as if someone carved it and picked that spot to display it." she says, stooping over for a moment to take a rock out of her shoe._

 _"I want to see 'Turret Arch' and 'Double Arch' too," I tell her, stopping to look at the park map they gave us when we entered the park. After fixing her shoe, she walks over to me, glancing at the pamphlet too._

 _"Once we finish at Delicate Arch, we can drive around to see some more of the sights. 'The Three Gossips' were in that opening sequence of 'Last Crusade' too," I tell her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Lacing her fingers with mine, we continue our trek to see the arch. It's hot today and it's definitely a hike and not an easy stroll by any means but we're enjoying ourselves just the same._

 _'Delicate Arch' towers eighty feet over hikers. It is one of the highlights of the national park and it is possibly the most beautiful arch in the world. Finally we arrive. She turns to me with a huge smile on her face. With a wink, she walks over to an older gentleman who's snapping pictures._

 _"Excuse me sir," she asks, her smile wide and inviting._

 _"How can I help you young lady?" he asks, smiling back at her._

 _"Would you mind taking a couple of pictures of me and my boyfriend in front of the arch?"_

 _"Not at all," he replies, taking the camera from her hands. Grabbing onto my hand, she tugs me over to stand beside her underneath the expanse of the arch. I lazily wrap my arm around her neck, pressing a kiss to her temple just as he snaps a picture._

 _"Damon, not that I don't swoon from your kisses but I want a face shot," she pouts._

 _"Okay baby." I concede, putting my arm around her waist, pulling her close to me._

 _Telling us to smile, we obey just as he starts to take our pictures. As he finishes, Elena walks over to him, whispering something in his ear. He starts laughing and gives her a great big smile in return._

I remember that day so well. We really enjoyed ourselves. I remember telling her that one day I'd take her to Yellowstone which is my favorite place on the planet Earth. Somehow, someway, I hope to be able to keep that promise to her. Just as the movie concludes, I throw my legs onto the floor, get up turn off the TV and go upstairs.

After peeling off my clothes, I step into the shower. Frequently yawning, I finish quickly, slip on a clean pair of boxers and crawl under the covers. Not long for this world, my eyes fall closed and in no time at all, I'm dreaming of her all over again.

 _With a mind of their own, my hands slide to the back of her thighs, lifting her to me. I slam my lips to hers when she locks her ankles against my back while wrapping her arms around my neck. I can't wait till to get her to the bedroom so I push her against the wall, using it for leverage. Unlocking her legs, she slides down, rubbing herself against my arousal as her feet touch the floor._

 _"I love you," she whispers without a moment's hesitation. Her voice is needy in want as she rocks her core against the hardness of my erection._

 _"I love you too, Elena. So, so much." I barely recognize the husky voice as my own._

 _"Take me, Damon," she moans as my lips blaze a trail of nips and kisses from the spot behind her ear, down her throat and into the swell of her heaving bosom. Using my hands, I fist the hem of her tank top, riding it up so I can splay my hands against her bare back. With a growl, I rip my lips from hers and fling her shirt over her head at the same time. With a flick of my wrist, I unclasp her bra. Standing back slightly, I sensually pull the offending piece of material down her arms, pressing kisses down one of her arms as I do so. I get down on my knees as I pull her panties off. After helping her step out of them, I drape one of her legs over my shoulder, opening her up for me._

 _Using my tongue, I gently flick her clit with taps and strokes, the rough surface of my tongue making her whimper and moan. Using my hair for purchase, she fists it in her hands as she attempts to stay upright. When I thrust not one but two fingers inside of her, her knee gives, toppling her onto me. Once I'm sure she's not hurt, I turn her on her back, latching onto one nipple while cupping her other breast with my hands._

 _"You're mine," I growl, before gently biting her nipple and pulling it taut with my lips. Letting it go with a plop of my saliva leaving her skin. Using her hand, she cups the back of my neck, pulling my lips to hers._

 _"Make me yours," she whispers, her pupils blown with lust as she runs her fingernails down my back, most certainly drawing blood. With a smirk, I take a hold of her hands and pull her upright. Again, I trail my fingers down her thighs, lifting her against me. Once more, she locks her ankles behind my back while I position myself. Moving my arms, I lift her just enough to slide inside of her, gasping at the feel of her exquisite femininity. When she cries out blissfully, I start a grueling rhythm, driving into her over and over. My own groans and moans joining with hers and the sounds of naked flesh is beautiful music to my ears._

 _"I'm not going to last much longer," I grunt in her ear, my movements becoming disjointed and chaotic as I near the precipice. I lower my hands to cup her ass, pulling her harder against me as I chase my release. Hoping to bring her along with me, I push into her over and over again until she cries out my name, her body squeezing mine till I come with the roar of her name on my lips. After giving her everything I have, I pull out, grabbing onto her when her knees buckle. Lowering us both to the floor, I wrap my arms around her and press kiss after kiss to the crown of her head._

 _"I love you so damn much, Elena." I whisper, grasping her heaving breasts in my hands. It's then that I feel a lump in her left breast._

 _"Sweetie, what's this?"_

 _"I have fibrocystic breast disease. It's a benign condition," she reassures me, pulling my hand away._

 _"That's a relief," I tell her, tightening my arms around her. We just lay there for several minutes, reveling in the feel of each others gloriously nude body. When I notice her trying to be discreet with a yawn, I stand up, lift her into arms and carry her to bed._

* * *

"Hi Danielle," I greet her when I step into the nurses lounge. Taking off my jacket and my backpack, I set them down so I can dig out my stethoscope. After putting a couple of pens and a pencil in my pocket, I pin my badge on and walk out of the nurses station to get my stuff together before it's time to get report.

"Hey Damon," Natalie greets me.

"How was your day?" Shrugging her shoulders, she goes back to doing what she was doing. After taking a seat in front of the computer, I log on so I can get my patient list set up. I start writing down information when I hear a familiar voice.

"Can you tell me who's going to be Elena's nurse tonight?" Brady asks Natalie.

"Damon will be her nurse tonight." I look up at Brady displaying a genuine smile.

"Um, can I speak to your charge nurse?" he asks.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Can I talk to you in private?" Nodding, she follows him to Elena's room. Natalie comes back a few minutes later. She shares a look with me before erasing my name that was written next to Elena's room number, replacing it with Monica's name.

"What's going on Nat?" Somehow I know that whatever Brady had to say, it has something to do with me.

"Miss Gilbert doesn't want you to be her nurse."

"Why?" Since I'm at work, I try to hide it but I feel like my gut twist painfully.

"She didn't elaborate, Damon. She said she knows you're an excellent nurse and you treated her with utmost professionalism before, she just doesn't want you to be her nurse this time. We have to abide by our patient's wishes." Swallowing thickly, I turn away from her, staring straight ahead but not really seeing anything. Natalie stands there long enough to change our assignments then walks off.

"Are you okay, Damon?" Danielle asks.

"Yeah."

"You sure? You look like someone just killed your cat or something."

"I'm fine," I snap at her as I stand up.

Raising two fingers into the shape of the cross, she flashes them in front of my face.

"Really Danielle?" Turning away from her so she doesn't notice, I roll my eyes.

"Well, suddenly Mr. Hyde came out to play."

"I'm sorry. Let's do report before it gets any later." Nodding her consent, we walk to one of my patient's rooms to start report. As hard as it is at times, I put my hurt feelings on the back burner for now. She stares at me for a second then gives me the scoop on the patient. Fortunately it's a busy night and I don't have time to even think about Elena spurning my nursing expertise. One of my patient's coded, another returned from surgery and on top of that I got an admission. Sucking in a deep breath, I look at the clock to see that it's almost seven am.

After giving report and handing off my patients to the day shift nurse, I gather my things and get out of the building as quickly as I can. When I get home, I quickly strip out of my uniform and put it and my other dirty clothes in the wash. Afterwards, I run upstairs and into my bedroom. After showering and cleaning up, I crawl into bed feeling both sad and angry as the edges blur and I fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _Don't worry, things are on the upswing now. It's all going to come together in Damon's mind very soon. Coming next chapter, Damon has 'words' with Meredith... I think chapter 16 is one of my favorites in this story, I can't wait till we get there..._

 _I love 'Arches National Park'. I've been there a few times._

 _Thank you Eva so much for your help with this and all my stories. Love you lots. Thank you all of you so much for your reviews. They mean more to me than you know. And they're really what keep my muse inspired to keep bringing you DE stories. I don't watch any other 'shipper' shows so they're it for me._

 _Title: 'Kentucky Rain' by Elvis Presley_

 _I've written a one-shot for Sar's aka 'BadBoysAreBest' annual A2A Delena Live Journal Christmas Exchange. Watch for it to post in the near future._ _I did update 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear' yesterday. It's written in both Elena and Damon's points of view. Chapter 3 is entirely Elena. Watch for 'Tears in Heaven' to be updated too. Please give them a look as well._

 _*Reviews are love*_

 _As always, stay safe and be aware.. Have a wonderful weekend. Until next time..._


	14. Jump

When I wake up several hours later, I stretch and groan. I must've laid wrong cause I have a bit of a stiff neck. I'd just like to know how everything went to hell between Elena and me. Although I have no idea as to the how, one way or another, I'm going to get some answers, no matter how long it takes. Shaking off my stupor, I drag myself out of bed and go into the bathroom to wash my face and freshen up a little bit. It's only about three in the afternoon so I don't want to go to Ric's bar just yet. I'm definitely having a date with 'Mr. Jack Daniels' tonight.

Stepping into my walk in closet, I slowly pull open the dresser drawer, reaching inside till I find her letter. Running my fingers over my now barely recognizable name, I take a breath and sit down on the floor. The rough fabric of the carpet abrades the bare flesh of my thighs, setting the mood for what's to come.

With shaky hands, I take the letter out of the envelope. Carefully unfolding it, I swallow thickly as I stare at the words for the thousandth time. Even though some of it is illegible, the ink distorted by my tears, I couldn't find it in me to crumple it up and toss it away. When I first opened it, I fought every instinct that I had to burn it. So I hid it inside a locked box, underneath a mountain of socks so I wouldn't have see the box unless I took the trouble to dig for it.

Taking a deep breath, I drop my eyes to the letter.

 _Damon,_

 _First of all, I love you. You may not believe this simple statement by the time you reach the end but it's true. I don't even know where to start. There are no words to soothe and comfort you knowing what this letter signifies._

 _I never thought I would be writing you a letter like this. There was a time when I thought our love would stand the test of time. Unfortunately sometimes life has other ideas, ideas that we have no control over. You can't know how much it kills me to have to say goodbye to you but this is something I have to do. Not only for me but for you too. I know this sounds like an oxymoron but the only way I know to keep from hurting you is for me to leave._

 _The moment is at hand when we have to part ways. It must be this way, Damon. You have found your path and I want nothing more than for you to follow and embrace it. I'm still trying to find my way in this world and it would be beyond selfish to lead you away from something you love so much. No matter how hard I look, this is the only path that I see. I truly believe there's someone out there for you to share your dreams with, someone more worthy than me. As much as I want to be that someone for you, I'm not._

 _God Damon, I don't want to do this but I have to. I won't put you through this kind of pain again. Please just don't hate me._

 _With everything in me, I love you, Damon Salvatore. Goodbye, Elena_

My feelings are so contradictory whenever I read the letter, a mixture of both anger and melancholy. After sucking in a deep puff of air, I stand up. Even though it was only hours really, by the time I read the letter, she had already disappeared. Her phone number was inactivated, her apartment had been emptied out. She had to have been planning for that moment for awhile. That fact alone shattered what was left of my heart. Eventually I felt like Kai in 'The Snow Queen', the feelings that I had for her turned to ice as despair turned into loathing. I never reckoned that I'd see her again. But no, she had to come back. Much to my dismay, I stand back helplessly as that sliver of ice melts, all my feelings for her slamming right back into me.

Folding the letter, I carefully slide it back in its envelope and put it back in the wooden prison of my little box. I stand there for a little while staring at nothing really. Several minutes pass before the spell is broken. While I'm standing here in my boxers, I figure I might as well get dressed. After slipping on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, I grab a clean pair of socks and my shoes before trotting down the stairs to put them on.

After making myself something to eat, I give Enzo a call. "Do you want to go to Ric's tonight for a few drinks?"

"Yeah, sounds good. As soon as Katherine gets home, I'll head over there."

"Great. I'll see you there."

"You okay?"

"I'm okay Enzo. Thanks for asking. Bye now," I tell him, hanging up before he can delve any deeper. Looking at my watch, I see it's a little early to start drinking so I plop down onto the couch, grab the remote and watch ' _Forensic Files_ ' reruns on TV.

* * *

Elena:

When I hear a light rap on my door, I look up just in time to see my nurse, Patti walking into my room. Smiling, I lay my book face down on my bedding to keep my page marked.

"I'm just making my rounds, Elena. I stopped in to see if you needed anything?"

"I do have a bit of a headache. The morphine takes the pain in my arm away but it always gives me a headache. I hate that."

"That's because Opioid drugs can cause an increase in intracranial pressure and some people are very sensitive to this increase. Some of our drugs are more apt to cause headaches than other. Have you ever tried Dilaudid? Hydromorphone is another name for it. I really don't hear my patients complaining of headaches with it."

"Yes, I've had that before. And while it didn't give me a headache, I got sick to my stomach."

"Do you want me to get you some Tylenol?"

"That would be great, Patti. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Can you hand me your water pitcher and I'll put some fresh ice in it." I hand it to her, smiling as I watch her walk towards the door just as Katherine walks inside, excusing herself when Patti walks around her.

"Hello Elena."

"Katherine, it's good to see you. Have a seat."

"How are you, Elena?" she asks, giving my good hand a gentle squeeze.

"I've finally gotten rid of my fever plus my arm looks much better, don't you think?" Raising it up, I give her a good look at it.

"It does look much better. I vaguely recall you telling me that the swelling you get from time to time is a nasty side effect from your cancer treatment?"

"Yes, it's called lymphedema. It's a miserable condition but a small price to pay for being alive."

"Absolutely." She reaches over to give my forearm a very gentle squeeze before continuing.

"I wanted to talk to you about your book. A friend of mine owns a 'Barnes and Noble' book store. Believe it or not, he was reading it because his wife beat cancer as well. He was wondering if you'd be interested in a book signing when you're feeling up to it?"

"Oh wow! Yeah, that would be exciting." Smiling widely, I offer her my hand. We give each others hand a squeeze, pulling them apart when I hear a knock on the door. I look up in time to see another nurse, Shar step back inside with my water pitcher and a computer so she can give me the Tylenol.

"Patti just got admission so she asked me if I'd refill your water and give you some Tylenol." After scanning my bracelet and the pills, she opens the packets then hands them to me. Once I swallow it, she says that Patti will be in to check on me later. Pushing her c.o.w. in front of her, she leaves my room.

"I'll tell my friend that you're excited to do a book signing at his store. We'll pick a date once you get out of here and feel like yourself again," Katherine adds, her smile turning to a frown when she sees the look on my face.

"Is there something bothering you, Elena?"

"No.. yes, I just don't know if I should stay in Denver given everything that's going on."

"Elena, Denver is a big city. You don't have to keep running into him. There are also other hospitals yet you came here. You still care about him, don't you?" I can't answer her so I get up to use the bathroom. Once I'm done, I wash my hands and splash a little on my face till I go back to visit with her some more.

"I hear you're going to be an aunt?" I mention as I climb back into my bed.

"Yes, we're so excited about it," she gushes which surprises me because I didn't think she was all that fond of Meredith.

"Well hello ladies," Brady greets us, walking into my room. After he drops a kiss to the top of my head, he takes a seat at the foot of my bed.

"I have a surprise for you." Curious, I can't help but smile when I see the big, goofy smile on his face.

"Really? What kind of a surprise?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Surprise, you can come in now," he blurts, winking at me. When I look up, my eyes widen and my mouth drops open. Tears fill my eyes as I scream, "Jeremy!" I jump out of bed, practically leaping into his arms, hugging him as close as I can.

"Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?" I squeal, happy tears filling my eyes.

"Brady called to tell me you were sick. Anna is watching the shop for a couple of days so I could be here with you." My eyes close to breath him in when he squeezes me even more firmly. When he lets me go, I take his hand and lead him towards my bed. I sit down, sliding over so he can sit beside me.

"Katherine, this is my brother, Jeremy. Katherine is my publisher and very good friend."

"It's great to meet you, Jeremy." Standing up, Katherine raises her arm, offering her hand to Jer.

"You too," he agrees, shaking her hand then wrapping it around my shoulder, pulling me into his side.

"Well, I'll let you three get reacquainted. I'll give you a call tomorrow, Elena." Katherine waves bye as she walks out of my room.

* * *

Katherine:

After leaving Elena's room, I walk into the visitor lounge for a few moments to get my things together. Once I have them in order, I step back into the hallway and when I look up, I see Meredith walking this way.

"Hello Meredith." Try as I might, I'm unable to hide the disdain in my voice. I am so glad my brother has finally come to his senses where she's concerned.

"Katherine?" she remarks, looking down her nose at me as if I'm nothing more than a bug she'd like to squash.

"How are you?"

"I'm doing very well as you can see," she gloats, circling her belly with her hand.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. I'm very excited now that I've gotten used to the idea."

"Good for you. You must've had a change of heart because I seem to recall Damon saying that you didn't want anymore children." I don't even trying to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

"Things have changed," she snaps, glaring at me.

"Goodbye Meredith, I have things to do at my office." Not wanting to discuss her baby, I turn around to walk away from her. Just as I'm about to unlock my car door, it dawns on me that Elena must think Meredith's baby is my niece or nephew to be. She did mention the other day that Meredith was the doctor who saw her in the emergency department. Plus I don't think I've mentioned Stefan and Caroline to her at least not recently. After tossing my bag onto the passenger seat, I jump in, turn on the ignition and hightail it back to my office, knowing I'll set Elena straight the next time I see her.

* * *

Damon:

"Hey!" I give Enzo a tight smile before sitting down on the barstool beside him.

"So what's up?" he asks, raising his eyebrows at me.

"Not much. I just had a tough night at work and need a little down time." I give Ric a thankful nod when he slides me a glass of tap beer. Enzo and I share a few beers and a few laughs. Ric switches the bar TV to the ballgame so I can watch it. Little league season is almost over. My team only has one game left since we didn't make the finals. I had a lot of fun coaching the little kids though.

"I was thinking about signing up to coach one of the 'Pop Warner' teams." After swallowing what's left in my glass, I turn my eyes to Ric and then to Enzo.

"That's great. You're really good with kids," Ric mentions as he refills my glass.

"Either of you interested in being my assistant coach?" With a tilt of my head, I raise an eyebrow.

"I'll talk to Jenna. If it's okay with her, I'd be glad to be your assistant coach."

"Jenna loves me, she'll agree," I chuckle, taking a deep slog from my Pilsner glass.

"I know she does but what I don't know is why?" When my mouth drops, Ric smirks knowing he one upped me.

"Great. I'll go down to the athletic complex tomorrow to see if I can get a team. I'll keep you informed." He nods before walking off to wait on some of his other customers.

"Hannah loved the aquarium," Enzo remarks, taking a drink.

"It was fun. I think the next time I take her out that we'll go to the zoo again."

"Yeah, she loves the zoo. She's also been bugging your sister and me about giving her another sibling."

"I'm on her side on that one buddy. I love my niece," I add, raising an eyebrow teasingly at him.

"Damon, I would like nothing more than to knock up your sister again. I'll just tell you that we're practicing," he adds, giving me a wink before finishing off his glass of beer.

"Eww, I don't want to know about my sister's sex life, Enzo. Just no," I laugh, chugging the beer that's left in my glass.

"Stefan hit the bulls eye, maybe one of mine will too."

"Remind me again why I invited you out tonight?" Feigning a horrified shiver, I tell Ric thanks when he hands me another glass. We settle into a comfortable silence as we watch the ball game. When a commercial comes on staring a pretty brunette, my mind harkens immediately to Elena. From the back, the model resembles her with the long hair and svelte legs.

I work the next couple of nights but then have a long weekend. Katherine told me that Elena has authored a couple of adult books too. Maybe I'll go to the bookstore again on my next day off to see if her books are in stock. I only bought copies of her children's books the last time I was there. After Enzo excuses himself to go outside to call Katherine, I turn my back to the bar, focusing on the TV till I hear my name.

"Hello Damon," Meredith says, sidling up to me at the bar.

"Meredith," I mutter, taking a sip of my whiskey.

"How are you doing?" When I turn the stool to face her, she tries to fake a smile.

N"Just perfect. Jack and I are having a great time." Having changed from beer to bourbon, I raise my shot glass to her.

"Should you be drinking?" I furrow my brows when I see her take a swallow of whatever she has in her hand.

"It's Coke, I'm here with Dr. Matthews," she answers, gesturing toward a table with her eyes.

"How's your friend, Elena is it?"

"I wouldn't know." However my curiosity is piqued as to why she'd ask me about Elena.

"She's on your unit. Surely you've taken care of her?" she utters, taking a sip of her soda.

"No, she doesn't want my help." I don't miss the smile that plays on her face after I admit that fact.

"What are you smiling about?"

"I may or may not have said a few things to her," she adds cryptically. Taking her by the crook of her arm, I lead her outside where it's quiet. Although I don't see anyone nearby, I thought I saw someone in my peripheral vision. Shaking it off because I don't really care if anyone overhears me, I turn to face her.

"What did you say to her?" I drop her arm because I don't want to hurt her.

"I told her that I couldn't be her physician given my relationship with you. I may or may not have insinuated that this is your baby," she gloats, smiling like the cat who ate the canary.

"You what?" I ask incredulously, my mouth hanging open in shock. Turning away from her for a second, I need to take a breath to keep my composure.

"Why would you do such a thing?"

"Because I could," she sneers, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's not a reason. Now tell me," I seethe, again grabbing onto her arm although I'm careful not to squeeze tightly.

"You started pulling away from me and Charlie as soon as she showed up here."

"Meredith, I was never in love with you. Yes, I liked you and we had fun while it lasted. But you and I both know, there was no white picket fence in the works for us." And for whatever reason, I feel my anger starting to ebb just slightly.

"I was in love with you and you knew it. You even took me home to meet your parents. What was I supposed to think?" Using her hand, she flings my fingers off of her arm.

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, Meredith. But I just couldn't deny my feelings for her anymore. I realized that I wasn't being fair to you or to me and that's why I ended things between us. It wasn't fair to Charlie either. Do you really want a relationship with a man who's still totally and completely and irrevocably in love with someone else?"

"No, I have more respect for myself than that."

"As you should," I blurt out.

"You still taunted me with the prospect of more. It was wrong and you knew it!"

Dropping my eyes momentarily, I shake my head before looking at her again. "Do you remember that evening I took Charlie so I could tell him that we broke up?"

"I remember."

"He told me that he was glad we broke up because he wanted his mom and dad to get back together." I hear her gasp audibly with that revelation.

"You've been given another chance to make things right with Mason," when she starts to say something, I raise my hand to silence her for a moment before continuing.

"I know he cheated on you. But from my perspective, he seems genuinely sorry, Mer. You're going to have another baby with him. I can't tell you what to do but maybe the two of you could make it work this time around," I point out to her. She drops her eyes for a moment.

"I don't know what will happen between Mason and me and frankly, it's none of your business." She gives me a scathing look then turns around and starts to walk back towards the bar entrance. I reach out and grab her arm a third time.

"I expect you to clear up Elena's misperception about the parentage of your baby."

"I'll do no such thing," she snaps. With a pronounced huff, she walks back into the bar.

Feeling my anger surges again with her obstinance, I just stand there for a few moments before going back inside myself. As I make my way through the crowd to go back to the bar, I notice Brady sitting on one of the barstools. Tipping his drink to his lips, his eyes never leave mine till I turn away to walk towards the men's room, my thoughts uneasy, hoping he doesn't think that Mer's baby is mine.

Once I finish in the bathroom, I walk back out and look around. Only this time I don't see Brady. Shrugging my shoulders, I go back to the bar. Sensing my mood shift, Ric slides me a tumbler full of aged bourbon.

"You okay?" he asks, using his eyes to gesture at Meredith.

"Other than wanting to throttle her, yeah I'm fine." Shaking my head, I chug it down. I slide my shot glass back over to him so he can refill it.

"What did she do?"

"Nothing much, she all but told Elena that I'm the father of her baby. I know I shouldn't care given the state of my relationship with Elena but...," I explain, sarcasm lacing my tone.

"Seriously?" he asks incredulously.

"Yep!" After blowing out a deep puff of air, I pick up my glass and take another deep swallow of my drink, cringing as I feel the burn all the way down and into my chest.

"So Damon, what are you going to do?"

"That my friend is the million dollar question." After chugging the rest of my drink, I pay my tab. Looking around I don't see Enzo.

"Katherine called. He went home when you went outside with her."

"I'm going home. I'll talk to you soon, buddy." When I see him nod, I walk outside. Although it's late, I decide to walk home rather than wait for a taxi. Feeling a bit tipsy, I could use the fresh air to clear my head so I put one foot in front of the other and start to walk towards my house. I get maybe two blocks from the bar when a car pulls up alongside me. My eyes widen when I see who's offering me a ride.

* * *

 _Meredith really is a piece of work. What did Damon ever see in her? *shudders*. The light bulb moment coming up..._

 _Thank you Eva for everything. I love you lots._

 _chapter title: 'Jump' by Van Halen. (Love Sammy Hagar much better than David Lee Roth)_

 _Thank you all for your reviews and for putting me over the 200 review mark. I really appreciate you all so much._

 _Both of my Christmas stories have started posting. Have a look at 'When You Wish Upon a Star' and 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear' a look. Watch for my one-shot for This is my Escape to post next week. 'Tears in Heaven' and 'Midnight Clear' will update yet this week._

 _Please do remember to *Review*._

 _I know I repeat it ad infinitum but the world is a dangerous place. Stay safe and be aware. And have a lovely weekend... Until next week._


	15. I Can See Clearly Now

"Brady?" I'm shocked that he of all people would offer me a ride.

"Where to?"

"My home is a few blocks away. Make a right at the next corner." Still in shock, I stare at him with incredulity. After directing him to my house, he pulls into my driveway, without having said a word. Shrugging my shoulder, I grab the door handle to get out when I feel his hand on my shoulder.

"The baby, it's not yours?" Stunned, I look at him, shaking my head no.

"I broke up with her a couple of months ago already. The baby is her ex husband's."

"She led me and Elena to believe that it was yours," he adds, glancing at me briefly before looking back at the road.

"It's not my child. I wouldn't lie about something like that."

"Listen Damon, Elena is very important to me. I won't stand in the way if you two try to make things right again. And I know she hurt you badly, I really do but trust me when I tell you that her heart was in the right place. She just went about it the wrong way. Her heart is huge, but you know that.." I can only nod because I do know that she loves with everything in her.

But," he warns, "if you injure her again, you'll have me to answer to."

Perplexed, I continue to stare, stunned at such a revelation. After several seconds, I open my mouth. "I thought you and Elena were involved?"

"Elena is a little sister to me. We've known each other since we were toddlers."

"Really? I honestly thought the two of you were together. Besides, she all but said she doesn't want me to be around her." Dropping my eyes, I stare at my now clammy hands.

After raising an eyebrow, he quickly turns his attention back to the road. "Elena didn't want to do anything to hurt your relationship with that woman especially after she implied not only that her kid was your child, but that she was having your baby."

"She seriously tried to pass of Charlie as mine too? I don't know what to say." It's true, I'm literally dumbfounded by Meredith's duplicity.

"Listen, I need to get some sleep. Have a look at this sometime," he says, handing me a book. When I glance at the author's name, I see that it's a book authored by someone named ' _E_. _Sommers_ '.

"Okay?" Curious as to why he's giving it to me, I run my fingers over the embossed cover. Knowing he's ready to leave, I jump out of the car pausing long enough to thank him for the ride. He gives me another nod before backing out of my driveway and taking off down the street.

* * *

For whatever reason, I find myself unable to look at the book tonight. It's just been that kind of a day. I set it down on my bedside table before stripping off my clothes to take a shower.

Pressing my palms against the shower wall, I stand still as the steaming hot water pummels my body. It feels good but I know my skin is flushed from the temperature of the water but I don't care. So much has dropped onto my plate tonight.

I'm still stunned that Meredith would actually try to pass off Mason's baby as my own. I know I hurt her when I ended things but I never realized she could be so vindictive. I really hope Charlie grows up well balanced and not petty like his mom. When I finish washing myself, I turn off the water and wrap a towel around my waist. Dead tired, I stumble back into my bedroom, pull the covers back and crawl in, falling asleep before my head even hits the pillow.

 _"Elena, are you okay?" I ask when I see the distant look on her face._

 _"Damon, you're home." I'm a little wary that she sounds so surprised._

 _"You didn't answer me?"_

 _"I'm fine," she assures me but her facial features betray her words._

 _"Are you sure? How did your Doctor's appointment go?" After pressing a kiss to her cheek, I drop down onto the couch beside her._

 _"Honestly, I'm fine. I just had a hectic day at work." I smile when she reaches up to caress my face with her palm._

 _"If you say so?" Although I'm still not thoroughly convinced, I play along because for whatever reason, she's being tight-lipped about whatever is bothering her._

 _"Really Damon, please don't be concerned." Leaning in, she presses a kiss to my lips. Smiling against hers, I cup her neck with my hands and tilt her head so I can deepen the kiss. When she pulls back breathlessly, I smile knowing that's the kind of response I always get from her._

 _"I love you," I whisper, lifting one more scorching kiss from her lips._

 _"I love you too. I'm really tired. Can we just go to bed tonight?"_

 _"Of course, baby." Standing up, I offer her my hand. I pull her upright when she takes it. Once she's upright, I wrap an arm around her shoulders and together we walk up the stairs and into our bedroom. After stripping off our clothes, we climb into bed, Elena cuddled flush against my side. I encircle her with my right arm, using my hand to play with the ends of her hair._

 _"I really, really love you, Damon," she whispers, using her fingertips to draw circles on my chest._

 _"And I really, really love you." I pull her impossibly closer and drop a kiss to the crown of her head._

 _"I know you're tired. Go to sleep now." After lifting one more kiss from her perfectly-shaped pouty lips, I pull her back into my arms. Nodding, she closes her eyes. In no time I feel her breaths even out signaling sleep. I take a moment just to breathe her in before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep myself._

Awakening with a chill, I lurch upright in bed. With the benefit of twenty-twenty hindsight, I should've realized that something was up that day. She just wasn't herself no matter how much she protested.

 _"Elena, I'm home." After taking a moment to thumb through the mail, I drop it onto the countertop. Suddenly I realize that the house is eerily quiet so I go to look for her. She isn't in the living room or the laundry room so I quietly walk upstairs expecting to find her asleep on our bed. Not finding her, I step into the closet to get some more comfortable clothes to change in to. It's only then that I notice all the empty hangers that her clothes should be hanging on._

 _My gut twists uncomfortably as I pull open each of her dresser drawers, finding every one of them empty as well. Feeling tears well in my eyes, I collapse to the floor of the closet, unable to hold back the guttural cry of pain that escapes my lips. When I'm finally able to summon an ounce of strength, I crawl out of the closet over to the bed, using it to help me stand up. It's then that I see the envelope laying askew on my pillow._

 _Shaking my head back and forth already knowing what's inside, I scream as loudly as I can, barely recognizing that it's me who's making all the noise. I climb on to the bed, stretch as far as I can till I clasp onto it. Recognizing her handwriting, I clutch it against my chest, my body quaking in agony as my tears drop fall unbidden onto the envelope causing the ink to run. With blurry eyes, I pull the letter out of the envelope. Unable to cease my tears, I open unfold it, fingering her beautiful penmanship as I struggle to read it. In a fit of anger, I crumple it up and toss it into the waste basket. Suddenly I feel so fatigued that I can't stay upright, I drop my head onto the mattress just before everything blurs as I succumb to the darkness._

When my dreams awaken me a second time, I decide to get up and make myself a pot of coffee. It's is almost ten thirty in the morning anyway. Since I'm used to working night shift, I tend to stay up late and sleep late on the mornings following nights off. Just as I'm about to get dressed, I hear my phone ringing.

"Hello Katherine."

"I'm actually surprised that you answered the phone this early."

"I woke up a couple of times already so I figured I might as well just get up."

"How would you like to meet me for lunch? My treat."

"Sounds good. I wanted to talk to you about something anyway."

"Really? About what?"

"I'll tell you when I see you. I need to get some caffeine in me. What time and where do you want me to meet you?"

"What kind of food sounds good to you?"

"Why don't we eat at Perkins? They make really good omelets."

"Great idea. Yes, they have really good food. I'll meet you at the one on Colorado Boulevard, say one o'clock?"

"I'll be there. Bye sis." Holding the phone in my hand a few seconds, I finally click it off and set it down.

* * *

"You're late," she scowls, her eyes peaking out from the top of her menu.

"So sue me. The interstate was backed up all the way to the Park Meadows exit," I explain, dropping into the booth seat opposite of her.

"Really? It was moving okay when I drove over."

After taking a big drink of ice cold water, I set the glass down then raise my eyes to hers. "There was a car wreck."

"I hope it wasn't too serious?"

"It looked bad. Ambulances and cops were all the place."

"You look tired," she observes.

"I am. I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I almost popped Enzo a good one for leaving you there. What upset you and how did you get home?" she asks, closing her menu to giving me her full attention.

"I ran into Meredith at the bar."

"What was Almira Gulch doing at a bar in her condition?" she asks, smiling like the Cheshire cat.

"Almira Gulch? Really Katherine? Although I happen to agree with you after hearing what Brady had to say." Shaking my head, I find myself unable to hold in a chuckle.

"Well, I always thought of her as the wicked witch of the west. I still don't know what you ever saw in her?" she mumbles, turning her nose up.

"Katherine come on?"

"Fine, what did 'Mer e dith' do to interrupt your sleep?" she asks, sing-songing her name this time.

"I really, really tried to take the high road with her. Especially after what she told me but damn it, Katherine, she makes it nearly impossible." After running my fingers through my hair, I relax back into the seat.

"Oh you mean how she told Elena that you were the father of her baby?"

With my mouth hanging open, I just stare at her. "How do you know that?"

"I went to see her at the hospital. She congratulated me on my impending 'aunt-hood'. At first I figured she was talking about Stefan and Caroline but then I realized, I've hadn't mentioned that to her. When I was leaving the hospital, I ran into Meredith and put two and two together."

Just as I'm about to say something, our waitress steps over to our table to take our order. I order the southwest avocado salad with grilled chicken. Once Katherine tells her what she wants, she takes our menus. After bringing us each a glass of iced tea, she smiles and walks off to wait on another table

"We had a few words. I told her that Charlie confessed that he hoped we'd break up because he wants his parents back together. It surprised her but I guess it really didn't matter. I told her I wanted her to tell Elena the truth about her baby's parentage but she refused."

"Are you even the least surprised by that?"

"Well I did think we were friends."

"Hell hath no fury and all that," she teases.

"Yeah, yeah a woman scorned. I know.." After holding her stare for a few seconds, I drop my face into my hands.

"What really stunned me though was that she tried to pass of Charlie as mine too."

"Are you serious? Oh my God. The woman clearly has a screw loose. But don't worry, I'll set Elena straight," she offers, squeezing my hand.

"Actually Brady might have beaten you to it. Much to my surprise, he gave me a ride home last night."

"Do tell."

"Nothing to tell. I started to walk home and he pulls up alongside me."

"Really?"

"Yep. He did tell me something interesting though. Apparently he and Elena aren't romantically involved. I don't know sis? I do love her but I don't know if I want to go down that road with Elena again or not?"

"One day at time, little brother," she says, smiling sympathetically. Just as I'm about to retort, our waitress sets our food down in front of us. It looks really good. As soon as she refills our water glasses we dig in, savoring the flavors as they go down my throat.

* * *

Elena:

"It feels so good to be home, Brady. I need to send a thank you card to those nurses that took such good care of me. Shar, Patti, Rita and Lisa especially.

"I think that's a good idea. And, young lady, I'm glad that you feel well enough to come home too. I don't ever want to find you unresponsive from fever again. Do you hear?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I just didn't want to admit that I was getting sick again."

"I know it's hard, Elena but you have to listen to what your body is telling you."

"Please don't lecture me, Brady." He gives me a look, raising his arms in surrender as he settles back against the couch.

"I bet you enjoyed being able to bring your multitude of lady friends over since you had the house to yourself?!"

"I did indeed but there's this bossy brunette who insisted on coming home to ruin my fun," he teases, winking at me. All I can do is roll my eyes at him. We sit in silence for several moments. When I feel tears pricking at my eyes, I turn away, not wanting him to see them.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Katherine confirmed to me that she's going to be an aunt."

"Did she now?"

"She didn't mention that awful woman by name though."

"Elena, relax. I actually saw Damon a couple of nights ago. She was there too but they weren't together. They did have words and although I didn't hear what was said, it was obvious that Damon was upset with her. I think the two of you need to sit down and talk."

"But Brady, if he's going to have a baby with that woman?"

"Sweetheart, please trust me on this. You need to talk to him." I stare into his eyes for a very long moment, expelling a breath when I finally turn away. Trying to halt anymore tears, I pull my lower lip between my teeth and shake my head.

"I can't Brady."

"Talking to Damon is something you need to do. Please Elena, _just trust me on this_."

Something about the gritty determination in his eyes makes me feel better. He wouldn't be so insistent if whatever he knows is something bad. Furrowing my brows because it's obvious he knows something important, I relax visibly, releasing a deep cleansing breath.

"Okay I will if an opportunity presents itself." Feeling a little more confidence in myself, I flash him a genuine smile.

"That's my girl." Sliding over, he pulls me into his arms and drops a kiss to the crown of my head. Although it feels good to be loved, I can't help but wish I was comfortably ensconced in Damon's arms instead.

* * *

Although I have my left arm in the sling today, it is much better. I'm wearing it more to protect it than anything else. I link my right arm in Jeremy's as the two of us walk down the sidewalk. We're at the Sixteenth Street Mall in Denver. The shops and restaurants cover an area a little over a mile long. We walk down the sidewalk, stepping into some of the shops that Jeremy is interested in. He wants to take something nice home for Anna.

"Do you have something in mind to buy for her?"

"Not really, I'm hoping something will leap out at me," he laughs as we walk into the 'Patagonia' store. We separate while we look through the racks of clothes. It doesn't take him long to decide that nothing here catches his eye. Taking my hand in his, he leads me out of the store. When we reach the 'Overland Sheepskin Company', he pulls me inside. They have a whole variety of clothing and accessories.

"Look at this Elena!" As soon as I turn my eyes to his, I laugh. He's wearing an 'Indiana Jones' fedora, his smile as wide as the day is long.

"It's perfect. I love it, Jeremy."

"I'm getting this for me now we have to find something for her."

"What about a scarf or a pair of boots, maybe one of these handbags?" I continue to browse through the store. My mouth drops open when I finally see what I think she'd like.

"Over here, Jer," I utter, waving my arm so he can see me.

"What is it?"

"This alpaca. He's adorable."

"You really think she'd like a stuffed animal?"

"I know I would. Feel how soft it is." Displaying a mock pout, I begrudgingly hand it to him.

"It is nice."

"I told you."

"Alright, you win. Let's go pay for these things." We walk over to the checkout counter. Much to my surprise, he purchases two stuffed alpaca's, gifting me with one of them and purchasing the fedora for himself.

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," he says, dropping a kiss to the top of my head. After wrapping an arm around my shoulder, the two of us head off down the sidewalk again, this time going into the Rock Bottom Brewery to get some lunch. As soon as we finish eating, we go back to the car to go home. I've had such a wonderful day with Jeremy. Once we get home, I excuse myself to take a nap. I did just get out of the hospital. And as always, my dreams take me to _'him'_ as soon as I close my eyes.

* * *

Damon:

"Damon, the patient in room 823 wants something for pain," Matt, my nurse's aide informs me.

"Tell her I'll be there in a few minutes." After getting some morphine out of our medication dispenser, I draw the correct dosage up in a syringe. I then grab the scanner and take off down the hall to her room. Once I scan her ID bracelet and the morphine tubex, I ask her what her pain number is on the one to ten scale.

"It's about an eight," she tells me, rubbing her swollen right leg. After injecting the medication into her IV tubing, I grab an extra pillow so I can elevate her leg a little higher.

"How does that feel?"

"It's better. Thank you, Damon."

"You're welcome. Call if you need anything." When she nods, I walk out of her room.

"Hey Shar, will you help me get Mr. Pritchard into the shower?"

"Sure." Smiling, she grabs a clean gown, bedding and some towels and washcloths. Once we get him into the shower, she helps him get cleaned up while I change his bed linen. When she's done helping him, the two of us get him back into bed. I give him his pain medication and before long he's dozing quietly.

"You're getting an admit, Damon," Monica tells me, handing me a piece of paper with her name and diagnosis on it.

"Dr. Matthews is seeing her in the ED then they'll bring her upstairs." Nodding, I take a breath then walk into room 825 to turn the bed down and zero the scale so it's ready when she comes upstairs. When I finally have a few minutes to myself, I walk into Elena's room but it's empty.

"What happened to Miss Gilbert?" I ask Monica when I walk out of Elena's room, almost bumping into her.

"She was discharged yesterday. Did you know her?"

"Once upon a time I did. Thanks Monica," I start to say when Kim yells at me to tell me that ED is on the phone to give me report on my new patient. After hanging up the phone, I go to the lounge to use the bathroom and get myself a cup of coffee. Taking it in hand, I walk back out to the nurses station just in time to see my patient arrive. Setting my coffee down, I grab my stethoscope off my computer and go into the room. Matt follows behind, pushing the dinamap.

Her right arm is reddened, swollen and inflamed. It looks to be very painful. "Matt can you please go get a couple of extra pillows so we can elevate her arm?"

"Sure Damon." He gives me a nod before walking out of the room. Once she's settled in bed, I listen to her heart, lungs, and abdomen. I feel for her pulses and check for any skin breakdown. I notice that the ED nurses have accessed her port, IV fluid infusing through it.

"So Mrs. Anderson, can you tell me what's going on?" Taking a seat beside her, I click my computer screen to the admission database. Out of the corner of my eye, I happen to notice her layers of lymphedema wraps.

Usually an experienced therapist will place the wraps. It's done in layered bandages. The wrapping can contain and control the swelling that's already present but it does do more. The sluggish lymph vessels lie just below the skin. They depend on the pressure of the muscles beneath them to act as a pump in stimulating lymph flow. The bandages apply gentle and consistent pressure against the skin, providing a surface for the muscles to press against and enhancing the effect of the muscles' pumping action. So wearing bandages can actually act to pump excess fluid out of the arm and reduce the swelling as you go about your daily activities.

The bandages are wrapped with gradient pressure. That means that they're wrapped more tightly near the hand and gradually looser as they spiral up the arm. This gradient pressure pushes lymph in the direction you want it to go which is up and out of your arm. Layered bandages work as you move to "massage" any areas of fibrosis or hardened tissue and to keep your arm soft and supple. Unlike regular compression garments, bandages can be worn safely day or night because they exert only low pressure when your muscles are not moving, avoiding the possibility of constriction and lymph blockage as you sleep. And as a final benefit, each time you bandage your arm you're adjusting the compression to the exact shape and size of your limb at that moment, so there are no worries about size or shape changes with wrapping as there are with garments made to a pre-determined size.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Anderson, I just happened to notice your lymphedema wraps and I was musing about them a little bit. Do you go to a therapist to have your arm wrapped?"

Nodding, she starts to explain what brought her to the hospital. "I had breast cancer with a right radical mastectomy. Unfortunately I developed lymphedema afterwards," she explains, lifting up her swollen arm.

"It looks really painful. Have you had infections in it before?" As she tells me more of her health history, I type her responses to my questions into the computer.

"It is really painful. I have to wear the lymphedema wrap most of the time," she comments. It's only after I take another glance at her wraps and then her arm, and it's then that all the pieces come together in my head. That's why Elena's arm is swollen and painful and that's why she always has that arm wrapped. Good lord, she has cancer. Swallowing back the big lump in my throat, I finish my paperwork and get her settled in. It takes some time but finally her antibiotic arrives from pharmacy so I go to start the infusion. When she spikes another high fever, I call Meredith who happens to be on call tonight. She orders blood cultures and urine cultures. I disconnect her IV, drawing one culture from her line while lab takes one from her arm.

When my shift is over, I jump into my car and drive. It's only when I step inside my house that the weight of what I now know to be fact, hits me full force. My heart is beating wildly against my chest, causing my breath to hitch. Feeling overwhelmed, I fall onto my bed, covering my face with my forearm. After taking several deep, cleansing breaths, I sit up. Out of the ashes of our broken relationship, I feel like the Phoenix is rising as hope fills all the spaces in between. I don't know where this feeling is coming from because she could be dying but I'm not going to question it right now.

With a shaky hand, I reach for the book that Brady gave me. I hold it in my hands for a few seconds before finally opening the front cover. As I read it, my heart once more starts thrumming chaotically against my rib cage, taking my breath away.

 _This book is dedicated to the one who will always hold my heart. I just couldn't find it in me to put you through this kind of pain again. Just know this, I love you more than I ever thought was possible for a woman to love a man._

This book, it's her book, it's Elena's. Those words, they were meant for me. Cradling the book tightly against my chest, I suck in another deep shuddering breath, now knowing the full story of why she left me behind.

* * *

 _SURPRISE UPDATE: I was on call last night which is the reason I'm not cutting zzzzz's right now. Most of you knew that it was Brady who was giving him a lift!_

 _And many of you guessed why she left too. His brother's death was so painful for him. Of course, he would have stood by her through it all but she didn't want him to watch her die and put him through that kind of pain for the second time in his life. Her heart was in the right place, she just saw no other way out._

 _Thank you so much, Eva. I love you to the moon and back._

 _Chapter title: 'I Can See Clearly Now' by Johnny Nash_

 _With my Christmas stories, I actually have 4 of them in progress right now. This, 'Tears in Heaven', 'When You Wish Upon a Star' and 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear'._

 _Please remember to *REVIEW*.. I'm trying to push my way through the rough patch but it's hard. I enjoy writing and maybe it's the season and the lack of DE on our TV screens, I just don't know. I do know that I'm having a hard time writing lately which really hits home the fact that I am so glad that I don't post till my stories are written in their entirety._

 _Watch for my one-shot to post mid-week. I can't wait to share it with you all._

 _Be aware, Be safe and have a glorious day and wonderful week ahead. Thank you all again and until next time._


	16. It's All Coming Back to Me Now

_"You seem really sad today, Damon?" Ever observant, she tilts her head slightly as she fingers the hair on my forehead._

 _"I'm sorry. It's just a hard day for me."_

 _"Do you want to talk about it?"_

 _"Today is the anniversary of my brother, George's death. I was just a little guy when he died but I loved him so much."_

 _"Oh Damon. I know sorry doesn't begin to cover it but..," Her voice is full of compassion and it makes me love her all the more._

 _"He was only seventeen when he died. He seemed perfectly healthy. One day the two of us were playing catch outside. He taught me how to play baseball and basketball and even football. He was the quarterback on the high school football team. He was really good too. He may have made it to the pros." I look at her sadly before reaching up to wipe a tear before it falls._

 _"Anyway, he and I were playing catch when suddenly he collapsed and started seizing. I've never been so scared in my life. I ran in the house to get my dad because Mom wasn't home. She was at the grocery store. Dad followed me outside and by that time, he wasn't breathing. Dad gave him CPR and yelled at me to call 911._ _Luckily dad got him to start breathing again. The ambulance took him away with me and dad. I was only eight so they didn't want to leave me alone at the ranch. I was buried in my dad's side but I still watched as the EMT's worked to keep him alive. It was unbelievable, Elena."_

 _By the time mom, Katherine and Stefan got to the hospital, he was on life support. He did get better and was able to come home but he was never the same after that. He had an inoperable brain tumor. The doctors were certain that it was malignant. Mom and dad even took him to the Mayo Clinic but there was just nothing that could be done other than to keep him comfortable during his last days. He was at home in his bed, we were all surrounding him, touching him, holding his hand, telling him we loved him as he took his last breath._ _The color just drained out of his face almost immediately after he passed." I melt a little on the inside when s_ _he pulls me into her arms, caressing my scalp with her fingertips. It's then that I let go of my tears, not ashamed of letting them fall._

My eyes fly open as my dream ends. Taking a deep breath, I just lay there, trying to make sense of the last couple of years and what she went through. Was she all alone? How could she think that I wouldn't want to take that journey with her. Yes, it killed me to watch George die, still I wouldn't have abandoned her no matter how much pain I was in, knowing that I could lose her. I remember that day so well but she assured me it was nothing. Now I know it was anything but nothing. Using the benefit of hindsight, I should've pushed her a little more firmly but I believed her when she said it was nothing that I needed to worry about.

 _"I love you so damn much, Elena." I whisper, grasping her heaving breasts in my hands. It's then that I feel a lump in her left breast. Immediately a shiver of panic races up my spine._

 _"Sweetie, what's this?"_

 _"I have fibrocystic breast disease. It's a benign condition," she reassures me, pulling my hand away._

Biting my lower lip, I feel the book at my side. After raising myself up so my back is resting against the headboard, I swallow my fears and open it, running my fingers over her eloquent words, knowing they're for me. Turning the pages I delve into the book reading about her life and how she lost her parents at a young age and how her friend stepped in to help her raise Jeremy after they died. As I read on, I get to the part about her diagnosis.

 _The first time I felt the lump in my left breast, I felt a little bit of panic but I thought it would go away. I was so grateful that he hadn't felt it yet. I made myself a doctor appointment. He did a needle biopsy of the lump and sent it to the lab for cytological examination. When I went back to get the results, he confirmed the cancer diagnosis._

 _That was the same day that he finally felt the lump and asked me about it. Knowing what he went through once before, I couldn't drop this in his lap. I lied and told him that I had fibrocystic breast disease and that it was nothing to worry about. Fortunately he believed me._

 _The next day after he went to work, I packed up my things and my friend helped me to move out. I wrote the hardest letter I've ever had to write. I had to lie to him and tell him that the woman for him was still out there waiting for him to find. I couldn't, both for his sake and mine, let him stand there helplessly, watching me die little by little, day by day._

Sucking in a breath, I have to close the book for a moment. Holding my place with my thumb, I let all of this wash over me for a moment. I really wish I could've been there for her when she was so scared. Summoning all of my strength, I open the book again.

 _It was really cliché how we met. It literally was in the laundry room in our co-ed dorm. The first time I saw that panty-dropping smile of his, I almost melted into a puddle right then and there. He was so beautiful. His eyes were the color of the sky on a cloudless day. I was never one to believe in love at first sight till I saw him standing there after we quite literally ran into each other. We both landed on our bottoms, our clean laundry landing in a scattered heap on the floor. When our eyes met, we both broke out in raucous laughter. We exchanged phone numbers and later that evening he called me to ask me out. We were together from that day forward._

I skip a few more pages and this time it's while she's in the hospital after having her breast removed. Closing my eyes, I exhale a long breath before turning my eyes back to the pages.

 _"I couldn't even look at my body when the doctor changed my dressing for the first time. There was a Jackson-Pratt drain sutured into my body near where my breast should've been. It's draining what the nurse called serosanguinous fluid, meaning blood-tinged serous drainage. The first time the nurse changed my dressing, it was then that I somehow found the courage to look at my body. My chest was uneven and the skin was pink, the incision held together by staples. It was then that I realized that I am strong and that I will defeat this disease or die trying. No way in hell was this girl going to give up without a fight._

 _When the surgeon removed my breast, he inserted a port under my skin that would be used to give me chemotherapy. I dreaded losing my hair but when you think about it, it's a small price to pay for being alive. I'm so glad he didn't have to see me like this. I know without a doubt that he would not have abandoned me when I needed him so but I just couldn't do this to him, knowing that his brother's untimely death nearly destroyed him._

 _When my hair began to fall out and exhaustion and pain were all that I felt and saw reflected in my brother's eyes, the only thing that kept me from going insane was to remember the happy times I spent with him. When I was curled in a heap on the bathroom floor with never ending nausea and vomiting, I would close my eyes and remember a night we shared under the stars, just him and me._

 _We went into the mountains to watch the 'Leonids Meteor shower'. He thought we'd have a better view, free of the city lights and at a higher elevation. He parked his truck and spread blankets in the back end. Then the two of us crawled in, huddled together as we watched the meteors shoot across the sky. It's one of my favorite memories._

 _Later that night, he woke me, asking me to take a walk with him. By this time the clouds had moved in obscuring our view but now we watched as lightning flashed and thunder roared in that same sky. When the first drops of rain started to fall, he grabbed onto my hand to lead me back to the safety of his truck. Undaunted, I stood still, not moving._

 _"C'mon, time to abandon ship," he says, albeit with a smile._

 _"No, no, no wait. Just give it a second. It will clear up." Then, it's as if the heavens want to mock me because the sky opens up and a deluge drenches us. Still I wouldn't change a second of it because it was one of our most beautiful moments together. When I looked at him he was smiling as widely as I've ever seen._

 _"Promise me this is forever."_

 _"I promise." Then he leans forward capturing my lips in a tempestuous, mind-blowing kiss, the heat of it warming both our hearts and our bodies._

Unable to keep the smile off of my face at that memory, I hold the book against my heart as it hammers away. I know that I'm going to have to confront her with this but I have to do it in such a way that I don't scare her off. I need to tell her how much I love her and that she's still the only future I see when I look into her eyes. I remember how badly she wanted to go to see Mt. Rushmore.

 _As we walk through the 'avenue of the flags' on our way to view Mt. Rushmore up close, Elena is awed by the scope of the mountain carving. Denver is only about four hundred miles from here so we left home early this morning to spend a few days in the Black Hills. They're not the Rockies but they're beautiful in their own right._

 _"The southeastern face of Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest is the site of four gigantic carved sculptures depicting the faces of four U.S. presidents. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. The work on the mountain project began in 1927 and was completed in 1941. Over that time period, some four hundred works erected the sculpture under dangerous conditions, removing a total of four hundred and fifty thousand tons of rock in order the create the enormous carved faces, each of which reached a height of sixty feet. In Gutzon Borglum's original design, the four presidents were meant to be represented from the waist up but insufficient funding brought the carving to a halt after the completion of their faces. The 'Shrine of Democracy' welcomes upwards of two million visitors every year and is one of America's most popular tourist attractions," I read aloud to Elena as we stand against the granite wall on the overlook._

 _"It's one thing to see it in pictures, but it's really a sight to behold up close and in person," she remarks, snapping pictures._

 _Reading from the brochure, I continue on. "In August of 1924, Doan Robinson contacted Gutzon Borglum, an American sculptor of Danish descent. Borglum suggested that the subjects of the South Dakota project be George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as they would attract more national interest. He would later add Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt to the list in recognition of their contributions to the birth of democracy and the growth of the United States. During a second visit to the Black Hills in August 1925, Borglum chose Mt. Rushmore as the desired site for the sculpture. After President Calvin Coolidge traveled to the Black Hills for his summer vacation, Borglum convinced him to deliver an official dedication for the Rushmore project on August 10, 1927. Carving began in October of that year. During the last days of his presidency in 1929, Coolidge signed legislation appropriating two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in federal funds for the project and the creation the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Commission to oversee its completion."_

 _"I didn't know that President Coolidge vacationed here?" Elena remarks, still snapping pictures as we begin the walk down to the artist's studio and around the mountain. Elena gushes when we see a couple of mountain goats chewing on the grass. We were told that bighorn sheep inhabit the area too but we haven't seen any of them, at least not yet._

 _"This book says that Borglum utilized new methods involving dynamite and pneumatic hammers to blast through a large amount of rock quickly. That is In addition to the more traditional tools of drills and chisels. The four hundred and fifty thousand tons of rock removed from the mountain remain in a heap near the base."_

 _"What's really amazing, Elena, is that no lives were lost during the completion of the carved heads." That fact alone awes me considering the decades when it was carved._

 _"On July 4, 1930, a dedication ceremony was held for the head of President Washington. After workers found the stone in the original site to be too weak, they moved Jefferson's head from the right of Washington to the left. His head was dedicated in August of 1936 in a ceremony attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In September of 1937, Lincoln's head was dedicated while the fourth and final head, that of FDR's fifth cousin, Theodore Roosevelt was dedicated in July of 1939. Gutzon Borglum died in March of 1941 and it was left to his son, Lincoln to complete the final details of Mt. Rushmore in time for it's dedication ceremony on Halloween of that year."_

 _"You're just full of information," she teases._

 _"Mount Rushmore has become one of the most iconic images of America and is an international tourist attraction. In 1959 it was made even more famous as the scene of a climactic chase scene in Alfred Hitchcock's movie 'North By Northwest'. South Dakota would not allow filming on the monument itself so Hitchcock had a large scale model of the mountain built in a Hollywood studio." I finish, taking her hand as we explore the path that circles around the mountain. We get to one spot where we're almost underneath it. At another spot, there's an opening between some huge rocks and when we walked inside, we could see the monument through the crevice that formed where the rocks don't quite meet. Elena just can't help herself as she continues to take pictures._

We had a wonderful time in the Black Hills. We went to see the Crazy Horse Mountain carving too which when complete will be the biggest mountain sculpture in the world. While we were in the area, we also toured Jewel Cave National Park, the Badlands and even made a trip into Wyoming to see Devil's Tower. Custer State Park is absolutely breathtaking. Elena adored walking the trail around Sylvan Lake. We even rented a paddle boat and biked ourselves out into the water. Maybe someday I'll take her back there.

I skip ahead a few pages and begin to read more of her story. My heart twisting painfully as I read her words.

 _There were times when I wanted to just chuck everything and let death have me. I was bald, living with incredible pain and vomiting incessantly. I was so emaciated, dropping down to eighty five pounds at my lowest. With my immune system severely compromised from the chemo drugs, I developed a life-threatening infection and ended up on life support for nearly two weeks. I just wanted it all to be over and done. Jeremy and Brady were beside themselves with worry. Apparently I 'died' which necessitated the life support. All I really remember is seeing the 'white light' that everyone describes. I didn't want to leave. It was so peaceful and beautiful there. For whatever reason, my mind conjured up him. It was only when I saw his silhouette begging for me to come back that I knew I had to live to fight another day._

My eyes fill with tears knowing how close I came to never seeing her again. Good Lord, I would never have known that she died unless her brother or Brady would've come forward to tell me about her. Drying my tears, I know I need to do everything in my power to make things right between us again.

I can feel my body literally start to tremble when a sense of panic surges through me. Somehow I need to get to her, to see her with my own two eyes. As quickly as I can, I fly out of bed and get dressed without even bothering to shower. I practically leap the stairs in one bounding step because I'm in such a hurry to get downstairs. When I do, it dawns on me that I haven't a clue as to how to get a hold of her. I can't go to the hospital and search her records. That would be unethical. Maybe Katherine knows where she lives. Surely she has a phone number if nothing else. Picking up my phone, I stare at the keypad for a millisecond before clicking the Katherine icon.

"Hello?"

"Hi sis."

"Well hell, I love it when you call but I'm knee deep in cleaning up a mess right now with a new author. Can I get back to you?"

"NO!" I yell when I sense that she's about to hang up on me.

"Damon! What is it?" she asks, her voice sounding concerned.

"Do you know how I can reach Elena? I really, really need to see her. Please Katherine?"

"Can you tell me why? I mean, if I'm going to give her phone number to you, you better have a good reason because I won't violate her privacy for something trivial," she warns.

"I know about her book, Kat. The book she wrote about her cancer. I need to see her. Please sis?" I hardly recognize my own anxiety-filled voice. Seemingly understanding how important this is to me, she concedes.

"Okay Damon," she says softly, revealing it to me. I write it down as she reads me the numbers and her street address. I exhale in relief before telling her thank you and that I owe her one. She goes on to say that I can keep Hannah overnight Friday and Saturday so she and Enzo can get busy making baby number two. After telling her that I didn't need to hear that about my sister, no less, she scoffs, telling me I'm a big boy and should know about the birds and the bees by now.

Once I hang up, I debate with myself as to whether I should call her or just drive over to her place. Knowing that I need to see her beautiful face, I decide to drive over to her home but I need to do one thing first. I pick up the phone again and dial his number, knowing that he's always in my corner.

"Hello?"

"Hi dad."

"Damon? What is it, what's wrong?" he asks, clearly sensing something is bothering me by the tone of my voice.

"I found out why Elena left me," I admit, raking my fingers through my hair.

"How?"

"Her friend gave me a book. It's written under a pseudonym but it's hers, I know it is or he wouldn't have given it to me."

"A book? What is it about?"

"Dad, she had or has cancer. I'm so afraid of losing her again but I'm more afraid not to go to her."

"Damon, it's obvious that you love this woman. I know how George's death affected you, hell, the way it affected all of us. But Damon, wouldn't you rather spend whatever time she may have left making these days meaningful and happy for her? And son, she may have gotten the reprieve from this disease that George did not. You won't know unless you ask her," he tells me wisely.

"I know you're right, dad. I'm going to go to see her but I don't know how to apologize for being an ass to her. The deep visceral pain I felt when she disappeared was absolutely the lowest point in my life. You know I loved him with everything in me but Elena is the one that I've always wanted to spend forever with."

"Damon, you have nothing to apologize for. I know you loved your brother. Now why don't you say goodbye and go get your girl," he says, encouraging me to go after who I want.

"Thanks dad. I love you." Smiling when I hear it back, I hold onto the receiver for a moment before hanging up.

* * *

I'm parked across the street from the address Katherine gave me. For whatever reason, it's like I'm frozen sitting here. I duck down in the seat when I see Brady and another guy walk out of her house and jump into the car that's sitting in the driveway. I wonder if that's Elena's brother? Surely Brady would have told me if she was involved with someone. He wouldn't have given me her book or told me to read it.

Once they're out of sight, I sit upright and take in several deep cleansing breaths to fortify myself. With a shake of my head, I reach for the door handle and pull it open before I can talk myself out of it. I get out of the car and push the door closed, locking it behind me as I take one step after the next till I'm standing right at her front door. Having to steady one hand with the other, I reach up and ring the doorbell. And then I wait. And wait some more till I finally hear the sound that the doorknob makes when someone is turning it.

When she pulls the door open and sees me staring at her, the glass she's holding falls from her hands, shattering on the ground below. Her mouth is agape as she stares at me disbelievingly.

"Hello Elena," I whisper, exhaling a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

"Wha.. wha.. what are you doing here?" Clearly shocked by my presence, her eyes are as wide as saucers.

"I know, Elena. I know all about it," I tell her softly, reaching up the lightly caress her cheek with the fingertips of my right hand.

"I.. I don't understand?" Her eyes wild and unfocused as they dart everywhere but at me.

"I'm here because I still love you, Elena. I.. I want to be with you."

"Damon, you. you don't understand," she cries, shaking her head back and forth. Taking a chance, I reach for her hand, lacing our fingers together. And then I lean forward to press a wispy kiss to her forehead.

"I understand now why you did what you did," I reassure her, squeezing her hand just a little tighter before I bring it up to my lips to drop a kiss to the spot below her thumb.

She steps aside so I can walk inside. As soon as we're clear of the door, I push it closed behind me and pull her into my arms, finally capturing her lips in a smoldering kiss. When I pull away breathlessly, she reaches up to touch her lips with her fingers. Just as she's about to say something, her eyes roll back and she drops. I manage to catch her just before she crashes onto the floor. With utmost care, I pick her up and carry her to the couch. Finding the bathroom, I moisten a washcloth with cool water and place it across her forehead. After several scary moments she wakes up, her eyes darting around like a scared rabbit before finally settling on mine.

"You're really here," she whispers, reaching up to touch my lips as if to assure herself that she isn't dreaming.

"I'm really here, Elena." Smiling, I lift her hand to press a kiss to the base of her thumb and another to her forehead. After staring at me for several moments, she gingerly wraps her left arm and then her right around my neck pulling me close. I close my eyes and breathe her in, now knowing that this must be what heaven feels like.

* * *

 _Here's a little snippet from 'Angels Fall' I have a few chapters left to write but I am on the home stretch now. My goal is to begin posting sometime in January. I know there was an abandoned story that had Damon and Stefan living with the Gilberts for a short time. This story is completely different than that one._

I'm playing with my dolls on the floor in my room. I look up when I hear my bedroom door start to open. When my mom and dad walk into my room and take a seat on the bed, I set my Barbie doll down then walk over to stand between my daddy's legs. He pulls me onto his lap and gives me a kiss on the top of my head. Once I hear mommy's voice, I raise my eyes to look at her.

"Elena, daddy and I need to talk to you about something."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh no sweetheart," daddy reassures me, giving me a light squeeze.

"Mommy's friend can't take care of her little boy right now so he is going to come and live with us. His name is Damon and he's a very sweet little boy."

"Why can't his mommy take care of him?"

"Damon's daddy was a soldier. He was killed in the war. He was my best friend. Damon's mommy can't give him a good home right now so daddy and mommy told her that he could live with us. What do you think about that?" daddy asks.

"Will he play with me?"

"I'm sure he will. He's a very nice little boy," Momma says, squeezing my hand gently.

"When is going to get here?"

"Tomorrow."

"Where is he going to sleep?"

"Daddy and I are going to get the guest bedroom ready for him. We're going to get him some new bedding, some toys and clothes. Do you want to go shopping with us to get him some things? We want to make him feel welcome."

"Yay! Can I pick something for him?"

"Sure, you pick up your dollies and then we'll go." As soon as I jump off of daddy's lap, I pick up my Barbie dolls and put them away. Once I get downstairs, the three of us leave to go to the store.

* * *

 _Yay, finally we have DE in the here and now. What do you think of my version of the rain kiss? I know the Mt. Rushmore part was probably boring reading but I am a proud South Dakota native._

 _Thank you for everything Eva. I love you dearly._

 _Thank you all so much for your reviews and interest in this story. I really appreciate you and them very much, you have no idea._

 _Chapter title: 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now' by Celine Dion._

 _Please give my other stories a read. 'Tears in Heaven', 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and 'When You Wish Upon a Star'. Also please read and review my one-shot, 'The Christmas Shoes'. I really put a lot into that story._

 _I'm going to be posting one more O/S based on 'NotEnoughPotter's prompt for the DE A2A exchange. It's called 'When You Believe'._

 _Please remember to click the *review* button._

 _Have a safe and phenomenal weekend. I do appreciate you all so very much. Thanks for your support with this and all of my stories. You all mean the world to me. Until next time... C_


	17. Come Home

"Damon," she whispers, dropping a kiss to a my ear.

"Why didn't you tell me? In your book, you wrote that you knew without a doubt that I wouldn't have walked away?" Without taking my eyes from hers, I push a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"After you told me what happened with George, I just couldn't do that to you. I'm so, so sorry, I just didn't see any other way out. I didn't want you to have to watch me die."

"Oh Elena." Reaching up, I cradle her cheeks, pulling her close so I can press a kiss to her forehead.

"Let's not talk about this right now okay? What I do know is that I don't want to waste anymore time. Despite all of my best efforts, I could never stop loving you."

"I love you too, Damon." After giving me a long look, she starts to sit up so I scoot over far enough to give her some room. When she starts to stand, I do too so I can catch her if she drops again.

"Do you want to take a walk?" She looks at me, her eyes a contrast between hope and fear.

"Sure."

"I'm just going to leave a note for Brady and Jeremy. I'll be right back." I watch her walk away before sitting back down on the couch. Dropping my face into my hands, I can feel my gut twisting because I know that I need to ask her if she's cancer free or if...? I can't even say the words. Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I raise my eyes when I hear my name. Forcing a smile on my face, I get up to follow her outside.

"Where would you like to go?"

"How about Eldorado Canyon state park? Then we can walk the Rattlesnake Gulch trail. We used to love it there, remember?"

"That's a wonderful idea. It's a beautiful spot." Noticing that her left arm is wrap-free today, I entwine my fingers with hers, making sure to keep my grip light so I don't hurt her. Pausing a moment, she gazes at our enjoined hands. When I feel her give me a gentle squeeze, my heart starts pounding in my chest, taking my breath away as she's always, always done.

"Does it hurt?" I ask, raising her hand to drop a kiss on it.

'Not too bad today. I have to go to see my physical therapist to have it wrapped again tomorrow though."

"Elena, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that I hurt this arm." Using my fingertips, I touch it gently before dropping another wispy kiss to her knuckles.

"You didn't know." Without taking her eyes from mine, she gives me a sad smile. Nodding, I lead her to my car, opening the passenger door so she can slip inside. After buckling our seatbelts, I turn on the ignition, only pulling away from the curb when I see that it's clear.

"It's only about a forty-five minute drive. How about we stop and get some picnic supplies to take with us?"

"Oh Damon, that sounds wonderful," she agrees excitedly, her smile wide. I drive till we reach the exit for El Dorado Canyon. Once I'm on the right road, we drive on till we find a grocery store.

"There's one just ahead, Damon."

"I see it." As soon as we reach the store, I pull in and park the car. Taking her hand, the two of us walk inside to see if we can find something yummy to take with us to eat.

"Do you still like fried chicken for picnics?" Although I know what her answer will be, I pause to look into her eyes. Unable to help myself, I reach up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear before pressing a wispy kiss to her lips. That megawatt smile of hers never fails to weaken my knees.

"I do. We could get some chicken, maybe some cole slaw or potato salad and some fruit?"

"That sounds perfect. Do you want wine or will water or soda suffice?"

"I suppose we should stick with the non alcoholic assortment since you're driving."

"You're right. Letting go of her hand, I grab a shopping cart and push it to the deli section of the store. Since we both love white meat, I only order some breast pieces. Elena decides that she wants cole slaw. She also latches onto some homemade bread. She used to love to pick it apart almost as soon as I took it out of my bread machine. Before we go to look for some eating utensils, she grabs a container filled with watermelon chunks.

"You didn't forget that watermelon is one of my favorite summer fruits."

"How could I? It used to make you so horny." When she raises her eyebrows alluringly, I feel shiver land just south of my belt buckle. Shaking off a chill, I pause long enough to steal a kiss from her lips before pushing the cart towards the paper products. Elena goes after some paper plates while I look for some plastic silverware. I also grab a roll of paper towels so we can clean up afterwards. We can use the grocery sacks to dispose of our garbage when we're done eating. As soon as we have everything, we go through the checkout and back to my car.

Fortunately I do take a peek at my gas gauge. I pull into a gas station knowing I need to fill up before we go any further. As soon as the tank is full, I hop in. Once we're back on Interstate seventy six, we continue on till we reach highway thirty six at the Westminster exit. It's only about thirty miles away. Since it's a beautiful day, Elena opens the window and lets the breeze blow through her hair.

"Pinch me," I utter aloud, glancing at her for a millisecond.

"What?"

"Pinch me. I can't believe that it's you and that we're here and together. It physically hurt to be without you, Elena." Reaching over, I offer her my hand. When she latches on, I entwine our fingers, lifting hers to my lips to drop a kiss to her hand. I know that no matter what, I'll never get enough of this woman.

"I'm here, Damon." she whispers, pressing her own kiss to the base of my thumb.

"I know we need to talk, I know that. But I just want to enjoy today without all the heavy stuff." And although I'm dreading what the answer might be and every nerve in my body is alight, I need to know if she's dying.

Sucking in a deep breath, I clutch the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles are white.

"Damon, what is it?"

"I just need to know Elena," I blurt out, holding in a breath.

"Just ask me." She reaches out, giving my thigh a slight squeeze.

"Please tell me." I give her another quick glance, pressing my hand atop hers as I wait for her to answer.

"Elena, please?"

"I promise you that I'm not dying, Damon. At least not yet." She nods her head, reassuring me with a soft smile.

"Oh thank Christ! I was so scared but I knew that I couldn't stay away from you any longer, no matter what. You've lifted such a weight off of my chest, Elena. Thank you." I sigh, relaxing visibly as I let out a breath of air that I didn't realize I was holding. Since I can't help myself, I take her hand in mine once more and bring it to my lips.

"Oh Elena, we've lost so much time. But that's neither here nor there, from now on, no secrets okay?"

"No more secrets, I promise. And Damon, I gave you my heart a long time ago. I could never give it to anyone else."

"I love you, Elena." We settle into a comfortable silence, quietly lost in our own thoughts, we listen to the melody that's playing on the radio. Neither hell nor high water could keep me from her again but it's such a stark relief to know that our time isn't limited.

"Can I ask you a question...?" Elena asks hesitantly. I glance at her for a minute to see that she's looking away, staring out of the window.

"Of course."

"Um.. Meredith?"

Reaching over, I lay my hand atop hers while keeping my eye on the road.

"Meredith and I broke up some time ago. Her ex-husband is the father of her baby." Turning towards me, she gives me a shy smile and admits that she's happy that it's not my baby.

"Alright, enough of the heavy stuff. We're nearing our exit." Clutching the steering wheel with both hands, I veer into the turn lane then exit off highway thirty six and get on the right road. Before long, we're at the park. Once I pay the entrance fee, we drive farther in till we get to the Rattlesnake Gulch trailhead. As soon as I park the car, we both jump out.

"Do you want to eat now or when we come back?"

"Do you have anything in your car that we could pack it together with so we could find a secluded spot on the trail?"

"I just might," I reply, smirking seductively. My backpack for work is in the back seat. I remove my stethoscope and other things, shoving it under the seat because it was a very expensive purchase. I would be crestfallen if someone stole it. Carefully I put our food and eating utensils inside. After locking my car, I take her hand in mine and the two of us begin to walk the winding trail.

The trail is 2.4 miles and follows an old wagon road known as 'Crags Boulevard' up the south wall of Eldorado Canyon to the 'Crags Hotel' site, which was mysteriously burned down in 1913.

Though little remains of this historical curiosity, visitors such as ourselves enjoy insight to the canyon's storied past and geologic origins. After spending a little time here, we take the 'Rattlesnake Loop Trail which includes a short spur to the Continent Divide overlook. The trail we're on veers east to the Fowler Trail split, banks right and is a winding, moderately steep climb up the south wall of Eldorado Canyon. The jagged Cadillac formations along the southeast wall are named for the resemblance to the 1950's car fins.

When Elena starts to tire, I take her hand and lead her a short distance off the trail to a mountain stream. I march her right over to a big rock that sits at the edge of the water and tell her to rest. She did just get out of the hospital after all. I watch as she takes her shoes off and dips her bare feet into the cold water.

 _"C'mon Damon. Don't be such a baby," she scoffs, shaking her head._

 _"It's cold." Feeling a shiver, I rub my arms up and down hoping to generate some heat._

 _"Are you afraid of a little cold water?"_

 _"YES! I don't like cold water!" I pout, sticking out my lower lip._

 _"I'll hold your hand."_

 _"Fine," I concede, raising my arms in surrender._

 _"Don't be so melodramatic," she laughs. I shake my head, suck in a breath and take her hand. She leads me into the icy cold water of the clear blue mountain lake._

 _"Just think of how much fun we'll have warming up," she adds, raising her eyebrows seductively. Once we're in waist-deep water, she wraps her arms around my neck and presses her lips to mine, the heat of her kiss making me feel all balmy on the inside. Letting go of my neck with one arm, she lowers the other one to take a hold of a 'limp' me._

 _When she looks at me curiously, I'm sure wondering why 'little Damon' is as flaccid as a noodle._

 _"Cold water makes for blue balls, babe," I chuckle._

 _I encircle her in my arms and press my lips to her ear whispering, "Just wait till I get you back to the tent though." I flash her my eye thing when I drop my eyes to look at her. With a wink, she pulls away and starts splashing water all over me._

 _"I can play dirty too." With a waggle of my eyebrows, I start splashing her with water. Turning away from her for a moment to rub the water out of my eyes, I startle when she latches onto my back and wraps her legs around my middle, giggling loudly. Splaying my hands under her thighs, I carry us back to shore and straight to our tent. Once I let her go, we strip off our wet clothes before crashing my lips to hers in a sweltering kiss._

 _"Little Damon isn't so little anymore," she teases, dropping to her knees to take me in her warm, heavenly mouth._

 _"Oh Elena." With reverence, I lace my fingers through her beautiful brown tresses._

"Damon?"

Snapped out of my reverie when I hear my name, I just raise my eyes to her and smile.

"You okay?" While waiting for me to answer, she looks at me curiously.

"I'm perfect." I give her a smile before turning my attention to the task at hand, lowering the pack from my shoulders. After taking everything out and dishing us each up a plate, I hand one to her before sitting down beside her in the grass. Hopefully I won't get too many insect bites.

"It's so pretty here. Thank you for bringing me." Dropping her eyes to her food, she takes a bite of her chicken breast.

"Mmm, this is good," she adds, covering her mouth with her fingers.

"It's very good as is the company," I whisper, leaning over for a kiss. I can hardly control my lust when she starts feeding me the watermelon while licking her lush full lips.

"You're killing me here, sweetheart." I drop my eyes when I feel the bulge in my jeans.

"Oh!" After feigning a shocked look, she gives me seductive wink.

"As much as I hate to take this very high and annoying road, I don't think we should go there until we've talked and cleared the air." Sighing heavily, I shimmy around a bit to adjust my jeans.

"You're right. Let's pick up our things and continue down the trail. I want to finish the walk before we have to go home.

When she pulls her cellphone out of her pocket, I chuckle a little when I see the frustrated look on her face. "Any reception up here?"

"No, there isn't. I'm certain that Brady and Jeremy have probably tried calling me though," she admits, reaching for my hand. Taking it in mine, we continue our walk up the trail for a good distance yet. It's when I notice a yawn that I insist that we head back to my car. I don't want her to overexert herself. We take a leisurely walk back to the trailhead, walking slowly to enjoy the scenery. When I see a big pinecone, I bend over to pick it up for her.

"To milady." I place it in my palms and offer it to her.

"Thank you kind sir," she giggles, playing along. When we get back to my car, I toss my backpack in the backseat and then I open the door for Elena to get in. After pushing it shut, I jump behind the wheel and start the drive back to Denver. As I'm driving, I glance over to see that she's sound asleep. I can't help the smile that forms on my lips. Not wanting to wake her, I leave the radio off. I'm just so happy right now, right in this moment to be here with her. For the first time in a lot of years, I feel complete again.

Suddenly the ring of my phones shakes me from my thoughts. I pick it up and answer. "Make it quick, Katherine, I'm driving."

"I just wanted to ask if you were able to connect with her?"

"She's actually asleep in the passenger seat. I'm taking her home right now," I say softly, hoping not to wake her.

"I'm glad. I'll let you go then so you can drive carefully." Before I have a chance to answer her, I hear the phone click off. Setting it down in the counsel, I keep driving, exiting onto Interstate seventy six, driving south till I get to Elena's exit. When we finally arrive, I park the car in front of her house. Before I even have time to step outside of the vehicle, Brady and Jeremy are running outside to greet us.

"Wake up sweetheart. We have a welcoming committee," I tease, gently jostling her arm.

"Where are we?" Slowly she sits up to look around, relaxing when she sees that she's at her home. I lean over to steal a kiss before getting out of the car. Brady beats me to the passenger door, opening it up to help her step out.

"Brady, Jeremy," I acknowledge, offering my hand to shake. Brady gives me a long stare that slowly turns into a smile, taking my hand in his, shaking it vigorously.

"You must be Damon," Jeremy says when he shakes my hand.

"Yes, I'm Damon."

"She's exhausted. We drove up to Eldorado State Park for a picnic and a hike. She napped all the way home," I explain to them, taking Elena's hand as she leads me into her house, the two guys following behind us.

"Can I have a moment with Elena?"

"We'll be in the kitchen," Jeremy adds, looking at Elena. She gives him a smile before letting go of my hand to sit down on the couch.

"I'm going to go home. You just got out of the hospital and you need to rest. Can I go with you to your PT appointment tomorrow? I'd like to learn how to place your wraps."

Although she gives me a curious look, she nods. "Sure, if that's what you want?"

"I am a nurse, Elena."

"I know. I'm just happy that you want to be part of this," she continues, looking at her bad arm. I grab the pillow at the other end of the couch so she can elevate her arm.

"What time tomorrow?"

"My appointment is at eleven."

"Okay. I'll be here at ten. You get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll walk you to the door. With a bright smile on her face, she offers her good hand to me. Taking a hold, I gently help her to stand. Not letting go, she follows me to the door. I squeeze her hand carefully, then pull her flush against me. After letting go, I cradle her face with my palms, tilting her head just the way I want it and smash my lips to hers in a blistering kiss. Breathlessly she pulls back when we both feel the need for air. I drop another kiss to her lips before saying goodbye.

"I love you, Elena," I whisper, dropping a kiss to her forehead before walking outside and to my car. Turning back, she's watching me as I get in. I blow her a kiss this time, smiling when she gestures that she caught it before turning on the engine and driving away, my heart content and full of love for her.

* * *

"Hey buddy," Ric greets me when I amble up to take a seat at the bar.

"Hi." I'm sure he's wondering why I'm smiling like an idiot.

"You're in a good mood tonight?"

"I am indeed." After he pushes an ice cold bottle of beer in front of me, I take a deep swallow, enjoying the taste as it goes down.

"Would the reason for said happiness be a pretty brunette with big brown eyes?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It most certainly is." Just as I'm about to lift the glass to my lips again, my phone rings. I look at the caller ID, smiling when I see who it is.

"Hi dad."

"I just wanted to see if you were okay?"

"I'm great." I reply, my voice giddy sounding.

"So does that mean that you took my advice?"

"I did dad. She and I spent the afternoon together. I've had a really wonderful day."

"I'm happy for you. Your mom just got home from the grocery store. I'm going to let you go so I can help her unload the car. I'll talk to you soon," he tells me, clicking off his phone.

"Bye dad and thanks." I put my phone down after he hangs up.

"Do you need a refill?" Ric asks when I polish off what's left of my beer.

"How about a glass of your finest bourbon? I'm celebrating."

"Just what would you be celebrating my friend?" Shaking his head, he reaches up to the top shelf and grabs his bottle of 'Pappy Van Winkle'. After he fills my glass, he pours just a little for himself before setting it back on the shelf.

We raise our classes, clinking them together. After throwing back the drink savoring its delectable taste all the way down, I raise my hand to wipe off the corner of my mouth. I'm still unable to get the giddy grin off of my face.

"That's good stuff."

"So Damon, what's that face?"

"I'm happy, I got the girl."

* * *

 _I hope Santa was good to all of you._

 _Thank you so much Eva. You're the absolute best and I love you lots._

 _We still have a few chapters to go._

 _Thanks so much to each and everyone of you for the reviews. I appreciate all of you and them so much. And thank you Ria and DDiebler and the other anonymous reviewers for your always kind words. Since I can't PM you, I'll say thank you here. I'm proud of the fact that I complete all of my stories. That's the advantage of writing them in their entirely before I ever start to post. It works for me because I can write at my own pace without any pressure of having to write and those of you who read my stories always get to read the final chapter._

 _Chapter title: 'Come Home' by OneRepublic and Sarah Bareilles._

 _I did post 3 one-shots for Sar's (aka BadBoysAreBest and NerdDamon) A2A exchange on LJ. I'm especially proud of '_ ** _Blue Christmas_** _' and '_ ** _The Christmas Shoes_** _' but I also like '_ ** _When You Believe_** _' a lot too. They're written for 3 completely different prompts. I'd love for you to read them and leave a review. My two short multi-chapter Christmas stories, '_ ** _It Came Upon a Midnight Clear'_** _and_ ** _When You Wish Upon a Star'_** _are both completed now. '_ ** _Tears in Heaven_** _' will update tomorrow. My goal is to begin posting '_ ** _Angels Fall_** _' sometime in January. This one is in Elena's voice and I think you'll like her character._

 _Please remember to click the * **Review*** button. _

_I know I repeat myself ad nauseum but do stay safe and have a fabulous day and week ahead. Thank you all again, you mean the world to me._


	18. Open Arms

_Happy New Year. Let's hope 2016 brings the return of Damon and Elena. We can always dream. If you plan to party tonight, I hope you have fabulous time but please remember to be safe._

* * *

"Good morning," I greet her happily the next morning when she opens the door. Her beautiful smile never fails to make me melt on the inside. She steps aside so I can walk in, using her arm to gesture toward her living room.

"I'm glad you're here." I smile widely when she steals a kiss from my lips.

"Mmm, I like starting my day off like this." I whisper, waggling my eyebrows at her teasingly. I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her close so I can kiss her properly.

"Wow! I concur." She steps back breathlessly but I feel a little twist in my stomach when her look turns serious.

"Um, I wanted to talk to you for a moment before we go. Have a seat." Looking at her curiously, I do as she asks.

"Damon, I... I," she starts to say before turning away.

"What is it? You can talk to me about anything. I love you, Elena." She's close enough so I latch onto her hand, pulling her close so I can press my forehead against her belly. Taking a moment to breathe her in, I give her a hug, drop a kiss to her flat tummy then let her go. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath as she begins to unbutton her blouse.

"I haven't had reconstructive surgery yet, Damon. I want you to see me." When our eyes meet, she lets her blouse fall from her arms. Elena reaches behind to unclasp her bra and when she does, she takes care to keep her right breast covered but lowers the strap on the left side.

"You need to know what you're getting yourself into." Her voice is firm with just a hint of anxiety. Using her hand, she bravely takes her prosthesis out then drops the bra's cup so I can see her bare chest.

I'm so proud of the fact that she doesn't drop her eyes from mine. My girl is strong both in mind and spirit. Inhaling deeply, I stand up, walk over to her and take her left hand in mine, squeezing gently. Although I'm sure she's a bit unnerved, she keeps her eyes fixed as she watches my every move. Bending over slightly, I press kisses along her scar. Hearing her breath hitch, I cradle her cheeks with my palms, dropping a kiss to her lips.

"Your body is just as beautiful now as it was the last time I saw you. I didn't fall in love with you because of your breasts, I fell head over heels for what's in here," I whisper, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"And here." Stooping just low enough, I press a kiss to her chest where her heart still beats. Unable to help myself, I press my palm flush against her bare chest. She's so brave yet the hammering of her heart betrays the anxiety she's no doubt feeling.

"You're not getting rid of me again, Elena." Raising my hand from her chest to cup the back of her neck, I lace my fingers in her hair, pushing her lips to mine. I lift my other hand to cradle her cheek, tilting her head so I can deepen the kiss. Gasping she pulls back, tears in her eyes.

"Elena?"

"They're happy tears," she blubbers.

"Let me help you." Holding her prosthesis in place, I go behind her so I can clasp her bra while she positions the insert. Once she's fully clothed again, she excuses herself to use the bathroom. I sit back down and expel a breath. I suppose she needs a moment to compose herself. I'm in awe of her bravery. I can't begin to imagine how hard it was for her to reveal her now flat chest to me. Shaking my head in wonder, I'm snapped from my reverie when she comes back. I give her a huge smile, take her hand and press a kiss to her knuckles. She pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, before looking at me again.

"I'm so proud of you, Elena. You're the bravest person I know." Unable to help myself, I pull her into my arms for another quick hug and kiss. When I release her, she takes my hand and walks outside with me. After getting in the car, we take off down the road to get to her appointment.

* * *

"Tyler, I'd like you to meet Damon Salvatore," Elena introduces me to her physical therapist.

"It's nice to meet you, Damon," he says, shaking my hand.

"Um, Damon is an RN. He wants to learn how to wrap my arm."

Smiling slyly, he nods. "I'm glad for you but you're my favorite patient, Elena."

"Does Hayley know how you enjoy teasing me?" Elena scoffs, giving him an eyeful.

"She knows I'm a hopeless flirt." He laughs, raising his hands in a mock surrender pose. After he tells Elena to have a seat on the exam table, he steps out of the room to get some supplies.

Feigning jealousy, I stand up to lift a kiss from her lips. "Is he always like that?"

"Yes but he's happily married with a second baby on the way. You have nothing to worry about nurse Salvatore," she reassures me, tapping the end of my nose with the pad of her index finger.

"I have everything we need here," Tyler mentions interrupting our moment when he steps back into our room.

"How much do you know about lymphedema wraps?"

"I know they're more than just an ace bandage and that there are layers. I've taken them off at the hospital but I've never actually done any of the wrapping."

"For starters, wrapping the arm in layered bandages is the gold stand for lymphedema compression. The wrapping can contain and control swelling that's already present but it actually does much more as well. The sluggish lymph vessels lie just below the skin, where they depend on the pressure of the muscles beneath them to act as a pump in stimulating lymph flow. The bandages apply gentle and consistent pressure against the skin, providing a surface for the muscles to press against and enhancing the effect of the muscles' pumping action. So wearing bandages can actually act to pump excess fluid out of the arm and reduce the swelling as Elena goes about her daily activities," he tells me, maintaining eye contact with me.

Taking the cotton-like fabric in hand, he hands it to me to feel the texture before adding, "Bandages are wrapped with gradient pressure. That means that they're wrapped more tightly near the hand and gradually looser as they spiral up the arm. This gradient pressure pushes lymph in the direction you want it to go: up and out of your arm. Layered bandages work as you move to massage any areas of fibrosis and keep your arm soft and supple. Unlike regular compression garments, bandages can be worn safely day or night because they exert only low pressure when your muscles are not moving, avoiding the possibility of constriction and lymph blockage as you sleep. And as a final benefit, each time you bandage your arm you're adjusting the compression to the exact shape and size of your limb at that moment, so there are no worries about size or shape changes with wrapping as there are with garments made to a pre-determined size."

"You did just get out of the hospital Elena. But I need to examine your arm to make sure that all the signs of infection are gone," he explains, raising her arm to feel and look at it. Once he finishes examining it, he begins to massage her arm gently.

"This is stimulate lymph flow and redirect it out of the swollen areas. By the way, Damon, these wraps shouldn't be worn in the presence of infection, fever, itching or increased swelling or other signs of infection. If you notice any of those things, she should see a Dr. immediately."

"I'm aware of that, Tyler. I am a nurse." Although slightly put off, I don't say anything more.

"There are a number of commonly used methods of bandaging your arm for lymphedema, but all apply the principles of layered wrapping and gradient pressure. The layers help to protect the skin from irritation, spread the compression evenly across wide areas, and allow for high working pressure and low resting pressure to encourage lymph flow and prevent constriction. All bandaging starts with applying lotion to moisturize your skin and keep it healthy. The skin should be kept well hydrated to prevent minute cracks from forming and allowing bacteria to enter and cause infection. It can also prevent skin irritation from the unaccustomed use of layered bandages. Tubular stockinette further protects the skin and provides a comfortable, breathable basis for wrapping. Next, felted cotton-like fabric or thin foam is used to add a layer of padding that evenly distributes the compression of the outer bandages. It can also hold in place specially fitted pieces of flat foam to protect tender areas where bones are prominent, or to reduce fibrosis," he adds, his attention focused on me.

"Lastly, short-stretch bandages are applied, with narrower bandages across the hand and wider strips spiraling up the arm. The number of bandages needed to wrap will depend on the size and length of the arm and the level of compression desired. These bandages are applied with carefully graded compression, more pressure at the hand end, decreasing as it moves upward toward the body.

"I do believe he has the hang of it." I smile when he looks at me conspiratorially before grinning at Elena.

"Tyler, don't be such a tease." Elena rolls her eyes. I can't hold in the chuckle when she elbows him in the ribs with her good arm. Pretending to be affronted, he looks at her with pouty lips.

"You're such a drama queen, Tyler. You should've been an actor," Elena scoffs, getting down from the exam table.

"Why don't you keep your next appointment yet just in case Damon isn't available for whatever reason? You can always cancel next week," he advises, suddenly serious.

"I will for now just in case something comes up with Damon. Thank you for including him today, Tyler."

"No problem, Miss Gilbert." I offer him my hand, thanking him again for allowing me to participate in Elena's care. Since we're done, I press my palm to her lower back, nudging her forward. Once we get outside, I steal a kiss when I bend over to open the car door for her.

I glance at my watch and notice that's it's past noon. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I am."

"At Cherry Creek mall, they have that really good Mexican restaurant. How does that sound?"

"I love shopping there."

"So does Katherine much to Enzo's dismay."

"Can we browse a little, maybe walk in a few stores?"

"It will cost you later," I tease, waggling my eyebrows. She laughs and shakes her head, staring out the window. It's like the years between us have just evaporated.

"What are you thinking?" I pause, dropping my eyes for just a moment before focusing in on her again.

"I was just thinking that it feels like every shard of glass, every shattered piece of my heart miraculously fell back into place. I'm so happy and surprised that there is no awkwardness, Elena. It just feels right." I take her hand in mine, pulling it to my lips to press a kiss on each knuckle.

"That's exactly how I feel too, Damon. I never stopped loving you," she adds, tipping her head towards me. I slam my lips to hers, the heat building as she cradles my cheeks with her palms. Using her tongue she teases my lips till I open up, letting our tongues tangle till we're both panting. A shiver runs up my spine causing me to pull back.

"As much as I love you, Elena, our 'second' first time will not be in a car and certainly not in public." After stealing one more quick kiss, I turn away to buckle my seatbelt. Once I have the car running, I turn onto Colorado Boulevard till we get to the mall exit. Once I get there, I pull into the parking garage. After finding a spot, I turn off the ignition, jump out and run around so I can open the door for her. Taking her hand, the two of us walk into the mall.

"Where to?"

"Let's just walk that way," she points. I know it's the direction of the Nordstrom store. It's Katherine's favorite store too.

"Lead the way." Linking her arm with mine, we stroll casually through the mall, walking through many of the stores. Deciding she's rather have Chinese, we get something to eat at the Panda Express. Elena walks off to find us a place to sit down while I stay in line to get our food. After paying for it, I look around till I see her waving at me. Smiling, I walk to our table, set our tray down and take a seat beside her.

"Here you go baby, a Panda bowl with String bean chicken.

"What do you have?" Reaching for the soy sauce, she licks her lips causing a certain part of my anatomy to take notice.

"I got the beef with broccoli and mushroom chicken. You want a bite?"

"I want a piece of that zucchini." Without waiting for me to respond, she spears it with her fork and putting it in her mouth.

"Do you like it?" Picking up my fork, I start to dig in too.

"I do." Reaching over, she lays her hand atop mine, a wide smile playing on her face.

"Thank you for coming with me today."

"Of course. There's no other place I'd rather be." I lean in to drop a kiss to her cheek. When we finish eating, we continue to walk through the mall. When we get into the Nordstrom, she browses through the perfume and cosmetics section. Although she's perfectly gorgeous without any makeup on, if it's something that makes her feel more beautiful, who am I to dissuade her.

"Do you like this scent?" she asks, handing me a scent card of the perfume bottle she's holding.

"It's very nice. Do you?"

"I really do."

"Mam, we'll take a bottle of this Jo Malone 'Red Roses' perfume."

"Wonderful choice," she says, walking us over to the cash register so I can buy it for her. She packages it up and hands it to Elena. From there we go into the clothing department. I find a couple of tee shirts that I like. Elena buys herself a pair of skinny jeans. We share a 'Cinnabon' cinnamon roll. As soon as we finish it, we head back to the parking garage.

"Where to?"

"Your place?" she asks, flirtatiously flashing her eyes.

"Your wish is my command, my lady." After pressing my hand on top of hers for a long moment, I let go then pull out into traffic to begin the drive home.

* * *

I unlock my house then step aside to let her go through.

"It's just like I remember," she muses as she walks further into my house. Watching her run her fingers along the mantel, I can't help but smile.

"We spent so much time in front of this fireplace." Her voice is winsome sounding as she looks around before turning to look a me sadly. I tilt my head for just a moment. My feet seem to have a mind of their own because in seconds, I have my arms around her from behind. Shaking off a chill I start to nuzzle her neck with wispy kisses, paying special attention to that spot just below her ear.

"Elena, I can't lose you again. You have to promise me that from now on, we're a team and we do things and make decisions together, okay?"

"I don't want to lose you again either, Damon. I'm so, so sorry. Please believe me when I tell you that I just couldn't let you watch me die. Of course, I knew you would hurt, it sucked the life out of me to leave you that day too. I was so frightened and not thinking clearly. The only thing that made sense to me was that this way would be less painful for you in the long run. Please know that I never stopped loving you and leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And yes, Damon, I promise you that I'll never keep you in the dark again. I love you, Damon. Can you ever forgive me?"

Stunned, I lose my ability to speak for a moment. When I hear her say my name again, I look up and pull her into my arms.

"Of course, I forgive you. It's the past. From now on, we only look ahead, okay?" Her eyes are glistening with tears so I press a kiss to each one. Raising one hand to cup the back of her neck, the other to cup her cheek, I join our lips in a languid kiss. When I pull away, I cradle her face with both of my palms.

"I love you so much. In sickness and in health, remember that."

"Always and forever," she whispers, wrapping her arms around my middle and laying her head against my chest. I embrace her, lovingly. Although she tries to be discreet, I don't miss her yawn.

"You're tired."

"I am. I'm not a hundred percent yet. Being in the hospital took a lot of out me."

"Come on, let's go upstairs so you can take a nap."

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"No, of course not." Taking her hand in mine, I press a kiss to her cheek then pull her up the stairs and into my room. Once I pull back the covers, she sits down on the bed. Dropping to my knees in front of her, I take her shoes and socks off, dropping a kiss to her knees before standing back up. As she lays down, I can't help the feeling of sheer joy that's exploding inside my chest when I see her laying in my bed again. Pulling up the covers, I press a kiss to her temple before stooping down once more to look at her.

"Before you go to sleep, I want to ask you something. My dad's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. I would very much like you to come home with me?"

"I'd love to meet the rest of your family," she whispers, just as her eyes drop closed. Stealthily, I walk out of my room, pulling the door closed behind me.

As soon as I get downstairs, I can't control my exuberance any longer.

"Yes!" I say softly, fist pumping excitedly, knowing that she's here and she's mine and whatever the future may hold, we're in it together.

* * *

 _Thank you Eva so much for helping me with this and all of my stories. Love you so much._

 _Thank you, all of you so much for reviewing and your kind words. I appreciate them so very much._

 _We're nearing the end but there are a couple of long chapters left._

 _Chapter title: 'Open Arms' by Journey._

 _Florencia7 just updated 'Let There be Light'. In my opinion, no one writes DE with as much love & devotion as she does. All of her stories are simply magical, mystical, believable and beautiful but my personal favorite is 'Perchance to Dream'.. There's a line in it: 'But love is a tempest, Elena. It isn't safe and it isn't kind. It breaks you, it heals you. It consumes you, Elena" Every time I read that story, that chapter, I get goosebumps. Love you Kate._

 _My good friend 'Imagination Run Wild' has written a couple of one-shots: 'Live a Little' and 'Just Full of Surprises' for the A2A exchange too. She did a lovely job with them._

 _Not Enough Potter's story 'Home for the Holidays' is based on my prompt for the A2A exchange._

 _I have posted the first two chapters of_ ' ** _Angels Fall'_**. _I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Mystery is afoot at Happy Dale in ' **Tears in Heaven** '. There's quite a lot of that story left to tell. _

_Please remember to click that ' **REVIEW** ' button. I love hearing your thoughts._

 _I hope you all have a safe and wonderful weekend and that 2016 brings you much joy and success. Until next time._


	19. Pretty Woman

Elena:

"You're packing?" Brady remarks when he walks into my bedroom, taking a seat on the bed beside my suitcase.

"I told you that Damon asked me to go with him to his dad's birthday party in Durango. I did mention that it was this weekend didn't I?"

"You did. I just forgot about it. You never met his parents when you were together before?"

"No. And I have no idea why? We just never got to it before...,"

"Don't sweat it. You're meeting them now. I'm really happy for you Elena except that I may have to look for a new roommate," he says winsomely, sticking out his lower lip adorably.

"Don't be so quick to push me out of the door. Everything with Damon is so great right now but there's a part of me that's waiting for the other shoe to drop." Feeling a touch of melancholy, I exhale sharply.

"You mean your upcoming doctor appointment?"

"Yeah. I'm afraid Brady. I just got him back." Sighing, I sit down beside him on the bed. After he and I share a look, he wraps his arm around me, holding me close and dropping a kiss to the crown of my head.

"He's not going to go anywhere, Elena." When I feel his hand on my chin, I raise my eyes.

"His love for you is infinite. If you don't believe anything else, believe that."

"I know. I just don't want to have to hurt him. I mean, I won't leave again but I don't want him to watch me die either."

"You're not going to die. If the other one needs to go, we'll deal with it just like last time. Only this time, Damon is going to be on your team too."

"What would I ever do without you, Brady?"

"Well kid, you're never going to have to find out." After giving me one more peck on the cheek, he gets up to walk out of my room.

"Before you go, did I tell you that Jeremy called earlier?"

"No and speaking of Jer, I thought I might fly to Vegas one of the these weekends to spend some time with him. Maybe you and Damon would like to join me?"

"He's fine. And yes, Brady, I think that's a great idea. I'll talk to Damon but we'll have to give him enough notice so he can request time off at the hospital."

"We'll talk about it when you get back from Durango. I'm going back to work now. Goodbye, Elena."

"Bye Brady," I say, waving goodbye as he turns his back to me. I get up to resume my packing, both excited and anxious to meet Damon's family.

* * *

Damon:

"So I was thinking that the two of us could take Hannah into the San Juan mountains and do some hiking. Is that something you'd be interested in?" I ask, holding her hand as I drive towards Durango. The southwest part of Colorado is so gorgeous.

"That sounds great. And I did pack my hiking boots."

"That's a good thing. Some day I want to live in the Silverton, Durango or Ouray area. I'm saving a bit so someday I can build my own log home. I hope that thought is appealing to you?"

"That almost sounds like a fairytale."

"Oh sweetheart, you're my fairytale," I tease, giving her hand a squeeze. We fall into an easy silence as I drive towards my parents house. Several times I noticed her just in awe of the scenery in this part of Colorado. Deciding to surprise her, I made a bit of a detour, stopping at Great Sand Dunes National Park

The dunes appear in the distance as you approach, but at first seem dwarfed by their backdrop, the 13,000-foot peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Not until you're nearly at their border does their vast scale become apparent: dunes up to 750 feet tall, extending for mile after mile, an ocean of sand hills of breathtaking magnitude. That's just how the explorer Zebulon Pike described them in 1807: "Their appearance was exactly that of a sea in a storm, not the least sign of vegetation existing thereon."

"Damon!" she gushes, jumping out of the car as soon as I park it. Taking a hold of my hand, she practically tugs me along with her till we're at the foot of the dunes. When she turns around, her smile is so wide, she looks like a little girl again. Once we find a park brochure, Elena starts to read from it.

"The dunes sprawl across part of southern Colorado's San Luis Valley, a broad, arid plain between the San Juan Mountains on the west and the Sangre de Cristos on the east. Streams and creeks flowing out of the San Juan Mountains over millennia carried gravel and sand into shallow lakes in the San Luis Valley. During drought periods, these lakes dried, releasing the sand particles to the action of the wind. Strong prevailing southwesterly winds carry the tiny grains toward the Sangre de Cristos, piling them up against the foothills."

"Can you imagine having this for a backyard sandbox when you were a kid?"

With a waggle of my eyebrows, I take off my shoes and run into the sand. I love that feeling of sand between my toes.

"You're still a little boy," she laughs, giving me a playful shove.

"The resulting dunes are the tallest in North America, covering more than thirty square miles. Adults hike across them and marvel at their beauty. Children run and slide down their steep faces, enjoying a playground of fairy-tale proportions. Winds that often top forty miles an hour continually reshape the crests of the tall dunes, and smaller dunes may migrate several feet in a week. The dunes show a remarkable permanence of form, though, which geologists attribute to opposing winds. Prevailing southwesterly winds blow the dune mass northeasterly toward the mountains, and occasional but powerful northeasterlies blow the dunes back toward the southwest. This back-and-forth action of the wind piles the dunes vertically, and contributes to the stability of the dune field. This place is fascinating," she adds, sticking the brochure in her dress pocket.

With a wink, I grab onto her and pull her into the dune with me. After we roll around and rough house for a little while, I roll onto my back, covering my eyes with my forearm.

"Hey you," she says softly, sitting up next to me. When I pull my arms away from my eyes, her body is shielding the sun, allowing me to take in her beautiful face. Raising up on one elbow, I use my other hand, wrapping it around her neck to pull her lips to mine. Our lips join in a frenzy of need as I tilt her head just the way I want it, deepening the kiss. When I feel the tip of her tongue against my lips, I open up, allowing our tongues to tangle, relentlessly in need.

Both of our chests are heaving when we pull apart due to lack of oxygen.

"Wow," she pants, pressing her fingers to her lips.

"Wow, indeed!" After lifting one more kiss from her lips, I sit up and stare at the horizon for a few moments. The environment here is almost pristine. Sighing, I stand up, offering her my hand when she starts to stand up herself. We spend a little more time in this giant sand box before going back to the car to continue the drive to my parents house.

* * *

She's sound asleep by the time I pull into my parent's driveway. After I park the car, I get out and walk around to her side and pull her door open. Stooping down, I softly whisper in her ear.

"Wake up sweetheart. We're here."

I laugh when she stirs a bit but doesn't quite wake up. Leaning in further, I drop a kiss to her cheek. This time I talk a little louder when I tell her to wake up.

"Wha.. what?" she asks, reaching up to rub her eyes.

"We're at my parent's house."

"Finally," I hear from behind me. Knowing who it is, I don't bother to turn around.

"Hello Katherine." Teasingly, I roll my eyes. Yet I can't help the smile that forms on my face when Elena giggles at my antics.

"What took you so long to get here?"

"Katherine don't be mad at him. Damon and I took a detour to the sand dunes. It was fabulous."

Walking closer, Katherine raises an eyebrow before giving me enough of a shove to cause me to tip over, sending me sprawling onto the pavement. Starting to feel a bit out of sorts with her, I stand up, puff out my chest and step right in front of her.

"What was that for?"

"You're still a big kid!" she scoffs, cracking a smile.

Shaking my head, I offer Elena my hand as she steps out of the car, pushing the door closed.

"My two best girls," I tease, wrapping one arm around Elena and the other around Katherine. Together the three of us walk towards the house. Just as we're about to go inside, dad appears in the doorway, stepping aside so we can walk into the foyer.

"I'm glad you're here," dad remarks, giving me a wink.

"They stopped to play in the giant sandbox, dad," Katherine jabs, poking fun at me.

"In fairness to your brother, it is a fun place. You and Enzo should actually take Hannah there."

"Daddy, you're supposed to be on my side." When she gives him her trade-marked pouty face, he breaks out in laughter, shaking his head.

"And you must be Elena?" Taking her hand in his, he lifts it to his mouth, dropping a kiss to her knuckles.

"Hello Mr. Salvatore. I'm so happy to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's patently obvious who Damon gets his charm from?" she mentions, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, I like this one, Damon," he teases, giving me a wink.

Shaking my head albeit with a smile on my face, I look around.

"Where's mom?"

"Where do you think? She's in the kitchen." Linking his arm with Elena's, he walks her further into the house.

"Martha, your son and his lady friend are here."

"Hello Elena, welcome to our home," mom says to her, giving her a hug.

"Thank you for having me."

"You're welcome. Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

"Maybe a glass of water?"

Mom hands a water bottle to Elena. Katherine sits down beside her. Soon Caroline joins in. Once introductions have been made, I kiss her cheek and tell her that I'm going outside with my dad to feed and water the horses. Also that I'll bring our things in when I come back. Her smiles never fail to weaken my knees. I'm so completely gone for this woman. At some point in my life, I must've done something good to have her be a part of it.

* * *

"She is a lovely young lady, Damon," dad mentions as we walk towards the barn.

"Inside and out, dad." I can't help the giddy smile that forms on my face. He gives me a look and shakes his head, a smile playing on his face as well.

"What?"

"You're practically beaming, Damon. You weren't like this when you brought that doctor lady here."

"I just love her so much dad. I have never felt like this with anyone other than her. Don't get me wrong, I did like Meredith but I knew from the start that it wasn't going to go anywhere. Even if Elena hadn't come back, I don't believe I'd still be with her right now. I just never realized that she had such a petty vindictive streak."

"I know. That was pretty obvious in your body language. She seemed pretty clingy too."

"She was towards the end there. I don't remember if I told you or not but she went so far as to lead Elena to believe that I was the father of her baby," I add, a shiver running up my spine.

"She's pregnant?"

"Yes, it's her ex-husband's baby. But even if it was mine, I couldn't marry her dad. I wouldn't have shirked my responsibilities, you taught me better than that, but I wouldn't raise a kid in a loveless home either."

"I don't think I've ever seen you this happy, Damon. I really hope everything works out for the two of you."

"Me too dad. We're taking it slow. She has a checkup next week, you know, to make sure she's still cancer free. No matter the result, I'm still going to ask her to marry me when the moment presents itself."

"You know I'll always be here for you and so will your mom." I smile when I feel his hand giving my shoulder a squeeze.

"Thanks dad. That means a lot." Once we get to the barn, I grab a pitch fork to start scooping hay for the horses.

"Hello Andromeda," I greet my horse, petting her face.

"Maybe you can take Elena horseback riding later?"

"Possibly? I don't know if she's ever been on a horse?" After nuzzling Andromeda a little more, I pick up the pitchfork again. Once we feed and water the horses, we walk around a little while before heading back to the house for supper.

Once we finish eating, we spent the evening just visiting with each other. Caroline's bump is clearly visible now. When I go over to take a seat beside her, she takes my hand to let me feel my nephew kicking. Smiling widely, I keep my hand pressed there until it stops. I glance at Elena, frowning slightly when I see the tentative look on her face. It's nearly eleven in the evening by the time we all retire for the night. Elena and I walk Stefan and Caroline outside to their car. After saying goodnight, we go back inside and up to my room.

"I guess mom just assumed that we'd be sleeping together. Is this okay with you, Elena? I can sleep on the floor if you prefer?"

"You don't have to sleep on the floor. I want to sleep in your arms, Damon," she whispers, offering me her hand. We both take a shower before settling into bed. Even though she's as brave as any warrior, I get the feeling that she's still a little reticent about having only one breast. I open my arms so she can cuddle up close to me.

"You're so beautiful, Elena." She snuggles in close so I can encircle her in my arms and drop a kiss to the crown of her head.

"I love you too," she whispers, dropping her eyes closed. In no time, I hear her breathing even out. Knowing she's asleep, I smile and close my own eyes, the feeling of having her in my arms again is so surreal and utterly perfect.

* * *

"We're taking Hannah with us to go for a hike. Do you want to come along too, dad?"

"Absolutely. Give me a minute to change into my boots and tell your mother that I'm leaving." After I nod, he walks back into the house. I watch him step inside before walking over to the car to tell Elena and Hannah that dad is joining us. Elena gets in the backseat with Hannah while dad takes the passenger seat when he gets back outside. Once everyone is buckled up, I put the car in gear and back out of the driveway, exiting onto the highway to take us to the San Juan Wilderness area.

The South San Juan Wilderness encompasses the southeastern extent of the San Juan Mountain Range, including a segment of the Continental Divide. Originally designated as wilderness by Congress in 1980, it is a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System and now maintains 158,790 acres. Ages of volcanic activity followed by the carving of glaciers left the rough, imposing terrain of the remote South San Juan Wilderness, an area characterized by steep slopes above wide U-shaped valleys cut deeper by eroding streams. You'll find high peaks and cliffs, as well as jagged pinnacles and ragged ridges, making travel difficult.

Thirty-two lakes, most of them formed by glacial activity, hold much of the area's moisture and drain into turbulent creeks. The Conejos, San Juan, and Blanco Rivers have their headwaters here. You'll find about 180 miles of trails, and some of the most exemplary backpacking in the state. The Continental Divide crosses the heart of the Wilderness for forty two miles.

The San Juan range forms the southern part of Colorado's Rocky Mountains and is thought by some to have the best, most varied scenery of all. Spanning the continental divide, it has numerous jagged volcanic summits, thirteen of which rise to over 14,000 feet, many lakes, waterfalls and streams including the source of the Rio Grande, several historic towns and countless relics from the gold and silver mining era of the nineteenth century, this latter reflecting the extensive mineralization of the range, as evident from the vivid colors of many of the rocks.

I drive to the end of the Yankee boy basin so we can begin our hike over the Sneffels Ridge and down into the Blue Lakes basin. The sharp spine of the ridge crests at 13,000 feet and is part of the famous Dallas Divide. The weather can be nasty up here. Though in July, cold winds can still blow in angry clouds full of sleet and snow. There was a 360 degree panoramic of the San Juan Mountains, and you could also look down into Blue Lakes Basin where with each turquoise lake hung several hundred feet above the next.

Situated southwest of Ouray, Yankee Boy Basin is a valley encircled by Thirteeners that steeply gains elevation and culminates in a bowl at the base of Mt. Sneffels. Because it sits so high, between 10,500 and 12,500 feet, it's a moist environment with lush wildflower growth and few trees. Sneffels Creek cascades through Yankee Boy Basin with several great waterfalls to photograph, including twin falls.

Once I park, we all jump out of the car. After I get my pack and our jackets out of the trunk, I lock up the car. I made sure to pack some bottles of water and snacks for us while we're hiking. Elena brought her camera along. We make our way up the path, passing other people as we go. Using the sleeves, we all tied our jackets around our middles so we wouldn't have to carry them.

"Grandpa, look," Hannah gushes when she sees some chipmunks skittering in and around the rocks.

"I see them. Look up," he says, pointing to an eagle that's soaring above us. Elena starts snapping pictures of the chipmunks before instructing me, dad and Hannah to huddle together so she can take a picture. After she clicks a picture with her camera, I pull her next to me, holding my phone out so we can take a selfie of the four of us. We continue further up the trail, stopping when get to the Blue Lakes basin. The water is almost a teal blue color. It's gorgeous. The wildflowers are just out of this world. The wild columbines and the forget me nots are my favorites. There are lupines and paintbrushes and wild daisies. I think when I marry Elena, it's going to be in the wilderness with a back drop of the mountains and the wildflowers.

"Uncle Damon, over there," Hannah squeals when she sees a marmoset climbing on the rocks. Elena points out some deer that are standing in the distance. She takes a picture of them with the zoom angle of her camera. When we find a nice area, we sit down on the rocks. Taking my pack, I pull out a bottle of water for everyone along with a granola bar. Hannah is busy looking at rocks and the wildflowers. She picks one of the cornflowers to give to her mom when we get back to the house.

"Do you think mommy will like this?" she asks Elena.

"I think your mommy will like that a lot," Elena reassures her.

"I'm going to pick some more," she announces excitedly. We continue our hike down to the lake's edge, spending a little time dipping our toes in the icy water. Since the elevation is pretty high here, the weather is often chilly. But the cold is worth it to be able to view such pristine splendor. Once everyone is ready to go, we start the hike to go back to the car so we can go home.

The girls fall asleep not long after I start the drive home. Before long, dad dozes off too, his head leaning against the window. I look in my rearview mirror to see Elena and Hannah both looking so peaceful in their slumber. Not wanting to wake anyone, I turn the radio on but keep the volume down.

It's early evening by the time I finally pull into the driveway of my parents home. Enzo walks outside to greet us, lifting a sleep Hannah into his arms to carry her in the house. Dad wakes up as soon as the car stops. I reach behind me to squeeze Elena's knee to wake her up.

After we all eat, I'm exhausted so I go upstairs to shower and get in the bed. I'm pleasantly surprised when Elena gets in the shower with me. Taking a washcloth and bar of soap in hand, she lathers up my body and starts to wash my back and my belly. Lowering her hand she starts to wash my groin but doesn't latch onto me. When I turn around, I pull her into a heady kiss, massaging her back with one hand and the back of her neck with the other. Letting go, I tell her to turn around so I can wash her hair for her, caressing her scalp as I do.

"Did you lose all of your hair when you had chemo?"

"I lost every hair on my body including my pubic and underarm hair." With my hand, I gently start sponging the empty side of her chest. As soon as the showerhead washes the soap away, I lean forward kissing it just like I did on the day she revealed herself to me.

"You, my warrior princess are the bravest person I know," I whisper, stealing another blistering kiss from her lips. I drop to the floor in front of her, looping one of her legs around my shoulder to open her up for me. Feeling her desire for me, I use my tongue to lave her clit. When I hear her breath hitch, I nip it gently before inserting one and then two fingers inside of her. She's moaning and whimpering and swaying above me. I continue to work her at a feverish pitch, the beautiful noises she makes spurring me on. Soon I feel her body shuddering and squeezing my fingers when she comes with a loud moan of my name on her lips. Smiling like a teenager, I make sure she's sturdy on her feet before standing up.

"Damon, that was..." As soon as I'm upright, she falls against my chest. I take the moment to encircle her with my arms. After pressing any number of kisses to her wet head, I let her go.

"Let's get you washed up and tucked in bed."

"What about you?" she asks, her voice still breathy.

"Tonight is about you, sweetheart." As soon as I finish washing her off, I turn off the water, step out of the shower to grab a towel, wrapping her in it. After pulling back the bed covers, I slip on a pair of boxers and help her put her pajamas on. Lifting her into my arms, I carry her into the room and lay her gently on my bed and cover her up. Taking in a breath, I fall into bed myself, tired from our long day of hiking. She scoots over, lifting my arm around her and snuggles in against me. Since we're both exhausted, it takes just minutes for us to fall asleep.

* * *

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you," we all sing to my dad as mom sets a birthday cake in front of him. There are two candles on it. One is a five and one is an eight. Mom teased that we'd set off the smoke detector if she had to light fifty eight candles.

"Martha, you're supposed to be nice to me on my birthday."

"I'm always nice to you. There are three times I was nice to you sitting right here," she teases, pointing to me, Stefan and Katherine.

"That's the only three times," he jokes, covering his head when mom gives him a swat. All is well once mom gives him a kiss. I suck in a breath and hand him an envelope. His mouth falls open when he sees what it is. The three of us went together and bought him and mom a vacation package to go to Alaska. Dad has talked for years of wanting to go there.

"I don't know what to say?" He shakes his head back and forth, his mouth hanging open in shock as he looks through the brochure.

"Jim, I can't believe it," mom adds, reaching up to wipe a tear from her eyes.

"You've always wanted to go there right?" She nods enthusiastically when I wrap an arm around my mom's shoulder.

"Yes, of course but it's too much," dad interrupts, shaking his head.

"I asked for that time off at work. Elena and I can stay here and feed the horses and stuff while you're gone. Plus Stefan and Caroline are nearby."

"Thank you." Still stunned, he gets up and gives each of us a hug before pulling mom in for a big squeeze.

"Can we eat cake now, grandpa?"

"Sure we can princess. Do you want to help cut it?" Bobbing her head excitedly, dad helps her cut into the cake and dish each of us a piece. Mom puts a scoop of ice cream on each plate before handing it out.

"It's really good, Mrs. Salvatore," Elena remarks, savoring the bite she has in her mouth.

"Thank you dear. Please call me Martha."

"I will. And thank you again for having me." She gives my hand a squeeze before disappearing into the living room to sit beside Katherine and Hannah.

"Your dad said he talked to you about her."

"He did, mom. We're taking things slowly. I'm completely and irrevocably in love with her." She envelopes my hand between both of hers and gives them a squeeze.

"I can see that. I knew that other girl wasn't the one. You didn't look at her the way you look at Elena. Your eyes are full of love and you just look so happy."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, Damon."

I smile when she bobs her head up and down.

"That's because I'm not just happy, I'm deliriously happy, mom."

* * *

Yawning, I raise my hand to knock on her door. Although we had a fabulous time in Durango with my parents, we had to come back to the real world. With Elena's doctor appointment weighing heavily on our minds, it was nice to have a little escape but today is the day we find out whether or not her cancer is back.

"Damon, you don't have to go with me. You worked last night," she says, stepping aside to let me into her house.

"Do you really think I'd let you go alone?"

"No, I know you wouldn't but I also know you must be tired. Did you get a nap at all?"

"I slept for about three hours. I can take a nap later. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I'm ready." I can see that she's nervous the way she's biting on her lower lip.

"I know you're scared. We'll deal with whatever is thrown our way together. Right?" Trying to soothe her nerves, I pull her into my arms and kiss the top of her head. Once she grabs her handbag, we go out to the car and drive to the doctor's office.

A receptionist leads us into an exam room to wait. Last week, Elena had to have a PET scan and blood work drawn to see if she's still cancer free. She sits on the exam table, her hands knotting in her lap. I get up and start massaging her shoulders hoping she'll relax a little bit. Just as I press a kiss to her cheek, her doctor walks into our room.

He takes a seat and opens her chart.

"Good news, Elena. Your blood work looks good. Your pet scan was negative. You get a clean bill of health," he tells her, smiling when she tears up. I hold her against my chest, whispering nonsense in her ear to calm her down.

"Do you have any questions?"

"Um, what are Elena's chances of getting pregnant? I know she had chemotherapy."

"That's actually a very good question. Some treatments for breast cancer, certain chemo drugs may affect a woman's fertility. Many women are still able to get pregnant after treatment. Some breast cancers are sensitive to estrogen but studies have show that pregnancy doesn't increase the risk of cancer returning after successful treatment," he explains, looking directly at Elena before continuing.

"Many doctors advise breast cancer survivors to wait at least two years after treatments are finished before trying to get pregnant. Two years is thought to give them the chance to find any early return of the cancer, which could affect a woman's decision to become pregnant. Still, this advice is not based on data from any clinical trials. And some studies point out that breast cancer can come back after the two-year mark, so every case is different. Each woman's decision is based on many things, such as her age, fertility, desire for more pregnancies, type of breast cancer, risk of an early relapse, and the potential effect estrogen may have on her risk of a breast cancer coming back.

Women taking chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy should talk with their doctors before trying to become pregnant. And I'm glad that you asked. These drugs could affect a growing fetus, so it isn't safe to get pregnant until all treatment is complete. Stopping treatment early can increase the risk of the cancer growing or coming back. There is no proof that a woman's past breast cancer has any direct effect on her baby. Researchers have found no increased rate of birth defects or other long-term health concerns in children born to women who have had breast cancer. There's also no proof that breastfeeding after breast cancer treatment shortens survival. But women who have had breast surgery and/or radiation should know that they may have problems breastfeeding from the affected breast. In your case Elena, that isn't a concern," he adds, explaining things to us.

"Chemotherapy used for breast cancer also can damage the ovaries, sometimes causing immediate or delayed infertility. Cancer treatment can also cause women to delay trying to get pregnant. These factors together often mean that a woman has less chance of getting pregnant after breast cancer treatment. We could set you up with a fertility specialist?"

"I think that's something you'd like to pursue?"

"Yes," Elena blurts out, squeezing my hand.

"All right then. I'll have my nurse set up an appointment for you. I'm really happy for you, Elena."

"Thank you Dr. McGuire, for everything." Standing up, he shakes my hand and gives Elena a light hug.

"How long have you been seeing him?" I ask, watching him walk out of the room.

"I saw a different doctor during most of it but my oncologist in Seattle recommended Dr. McGuire. I've been seeing him since I moved back here."

Hoping she won't notice, I turn away for a second to yawn.

"Are you ready to go home?" When she nods, I take her hand and lead her out of the exam room. After we stop at the desk to check out, the nurse says she'll give Elena a call when she has an appointment set up for her. Once we get back to Elena and Brady's house, I go upstairs to her bedroom to sleep for awhile. I'm barely hovering on the edge between wake and sleep when I think I hear her tell me that she loves me. Smiling, I roll onto my side and drift into sleep with images of Elena, her belly thick with my child.

* * *

Finally I have a night off after having worked the last four nights. Between sleep and work, I haven't seen Elena at all. I've only talked to her on the phone. I slept all day today so I would feel refreshed. Elena is on her way over because I am grilling some steaks for supper. I want tonight to be really special for her and for me. I pull the drawer open to pick up the little black box, holding it like it's the most precious thing between my two hands. I take a breath and open up the box. I bought her cushion cut yellow diamond solitaire with trillion cut white diamonds on either side of it. She loves yellow diamonds at least that is what she's told me in the past when we've watched gem and mineral shows on the Smithsonian channel. Also she'd point them out whenever we'd walk through jewelry stores when we're browsing at the mall.

When I hear the doorbell, I stuff the ring back in the drawer and go to answer it.

"Hey there." Smiling, I stand aside so she can walk in. I keep telling her that she can just walk right in but she hasn't done so yet. I don't know why. I rake my eyes over her. She never fails to take my breath away whether she's wearing sweats, jeans or is dressed to the nines.

"Hi," she says softly, throwing her arms around my neck to kiss me heatedly.

"You can greet me like this anytime."

"Well, I missed you." Wasting no time, I steal another blistering kiss from her lush lips.

"Are you hungry?"

"I'm famished for you, Mr. Salvatore." I feel a strong shiver of lust run up my spine at the husky tone of her voice. When she moves to put her hands under my shirt, making contact with my bare skin, I feel my breath hitch. Before I know it, she's ripping my shirt off over my head, kissing me as her hands press against my now bare chest. Before I can even take a breath, her hands are working on the button of my jeans.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Elena?"

"I'm more than ready." After giving me a lascivious wink, she flicks the button of my jeans open.

"We're not going to have our first time be on the floor." I take her hand in mine, leading her up the stairs and into my room. Once inside, I kick the door shut behind me while attacking her lips at the same time. Using my hands, I fist the hem of her shirt and pull it over her head before reaching around to unclasp her bra, pulling it gently down her arms.

"How is your arm today?" Trying to be as gentle as I can, I run my hand softly over it. It's swollen but it's much less so than it has been.

"You can wrap it for me tomorrow," she whispers, taking my hand and pressing it against her now bare chest.

"Don't ever doubt how beautiful you are Elena. I don't care if you have reconstructive surgery or not. You're perfect just the way you are." I look into her eyes as I feel her heart thrumming against my palm. I give her another sultry gaze before lowering my hand to undo the button on her jeans, stooping down as I pull them down her legs. She's standing here in nothing but her panties causing my own heart to start jackhammering against my own ribcage. I take a moment to pull down the bed covers before lifting her into my arms and onto the bed. Dropping my boxers, I stalk up her body, laying in the cradle formed by her spread legs.

"I love you so much," I whisper reverently, staring into her eyes. Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, I whisper again how much I love her before nuzzling behind her ear, down her neck and into the valley of her breasts. Trying to show her that she's perfect as is, I worship her one breast, laving her nipple with my tongue, biting gently as I release it with a tug. Then I worship the bare side of her chest with kisses and nuzzles and running my tongue along her scar.

"Feels so good, Damon," she breathes, saying my name almost as if in prayer. Rolling on my side slightly so I can lower my hand between us, I use my fingers, teasing her wet tender flesh. I plunge one finger and then two inside of her, working it in and out while patting her clit softly with my thumb. Just as she's about to fly off the mattress, I pull my fingers out, replacing them with my mouth and tongue after descending down her body and raising her legs onto my shoulders.

She tangles her fingers in my hair as her hips move, matching the rhythm I'm setting with my fingers. When I take a nip at her clit while stroking her front wall, she splinters spectacularly, tugging hard on my hair while screaming my name. That sound is music to my ears and I'll never tire of it. I continue to stroke her while she rides out the last tendrils of her orgasm. Once she's back on earth, I climb back up her body and kiss her soundly, letting her taste herself.

"I need you inside of me," she rasps, her eyes brimming with lust as I stare into them. I kiss her hard while positioning myself between her legs and sinking into her. Her nails dig into my back as I stretch her tight, wet walls.

"More," she moans, lifting her hips as I drive into her again and again.

"I love you, Elena." My voice is heavy with emotion and my chest is heaving as I continue to piston my hips into her. I smile when she raises her hips to meet my thrusts. Using her vaginal muscles, she squeezes firmly, gripping my cock like a vise. I can barely hold on but I want her to go first so I slip my hand between us to stroke her clit while continuing my punishing rhythm.

"I love you so damn much," she blurts out just as she reaches the pinnacle, flying over the edge. I watch how beautiful she is as her orgasm washes over her. I push myself even harder for another couple of strokes before I'm catapulted into Nirvana, my eyes squeeze shut as my mouth falls open with her name on my lips. When I can feel my body, I collapse beside her, my chest heaving. Barely able to speak since I'm so out of breath, I just stare at her. Reaching up with shaking hands, I brush a damp strand of hair behind her ear, lock my hand around her neck and pull her in for a smoldering kiss.

Unable to speak, I pant, struggling to get my breathing under control.

"Wow Mr. Salvatore, you still got it." A light sheen of sweat and chill bumps erupt on her body, her chest still heaving wildly puts a wide smile on my face. Feeling an intense need to have her impossibly closer, I pull her against my body, her back to my front. Wrapping my arm around her middle, I drop kisses to the back of her head and caress her tummy with my hand.

"I love you," I whisper, closing my eyes. I vaguely hear her say, "I love you too." just before I drift into sleep, dreaming of her wearing my ring on _'that'_ finger.

* * *

 _7000 words of DE goodness. The next chapter is longer still. This story is winding down now._

 _Thank you so much Eva. We wouldn't be here without your brilliant advice and fertile mind. Love you._

 _And I thank all of you for your follows, favorites and most especially the reviews. They mean so much to me._

 _Chapter title: 'Pretty Woman' by Roy Orbison._

 _' **Angels Fall** ' and ' **Tears in Heaven** ' are in progress. Would love to hear your thoughts on those stories. _

_I'm hard at work on ' **Dig** ' but still have a ways to go before it's ready to be posted. Once it's closer to being finished, I'll give you a sneak peak. _

_Please do remember to * **REVIEW** * They're really the life's blood for a writer._

 _Stay safe and have a lovely weekend. Thank you all again for supporting this and my other stories. Until next time._


	20. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

My eyes fly open the next morning when I feel Elena's mouth lower over me and begin to suck. She uses her tongue to tease and lap at the slit. I groan aloud when she pulls back, denying me what I need. I suck in a harsh breath when she starts torturing me all over again. My hands fist in her hair holding her in place when she laves her tongue along the underside of me causing my eyes to roll back into my head as it drops back onto the pillow.

She takes me to the edge of bliss once more before letting go of me with a resounding plop. Just as I'm about to protest, she starts kisses her way up, starting at my belly working her way up till she's nuzzling my neck, biting me gently. With a twinkle in her eye, she slams her lips against mine, kissing me like there will be no tomorrow. While she's laying atop me, I take painfully erect self in hand and rub it between her legs, right where she wants it.

"I love how wet you get," I growl as I position myself so she can impale herself on me. God I love it when she takes charge. She looks so sexy when she bounces on me, her now one breast bouncing along with her. My insides fill with undeniable bliss when she anchors her hands on my chest before throwing her head back, savoring the feel of me as I stretch and fill her.

Our room is alive with the sounds of fragmented moans and labored breathing. I still her for a moment so I can sit up. Pulling her close so our bodies are flush one against the other, I start to tilt my hips, rubbing her clit with each thrust. Feeling the sting of her nails digging into my flesh, I start to slam into her harder and faster as I take her to the edge of oblivion and catapult her over it. Chill bumps erupt as her body shivers and squeezes me on the inside. I thrust up not once but three more times before a growl escapes from low in my throat. Throwing my head back, my mouth falls open as the rapture slams into me with the force of runaway locomotive. After it washes through me, I fall back onto the mattress, tugging her along with me. Using my hands, I rub the sweat dampened skin of her back gently, just soaking her all in.

"I love you. I never stopped," I whisper, my mouth next to her ear. She rolls off of me and stares at me with those endless brown eyes of hers. A smile erupts from her lips just as she leans up to drop a kiss to my lips.

"And I know both of us said and did some bad things to each other but that's behind us now. I'm never going to bring it up again."

"I know that, Damon. Believe me, I do. And for what it's worth, I never stopped loving you either."

Closing my eyes, I bury my face in her hair, breathing her in. Once we're both settled, I let her go to sit up.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to turn on the coffee pot. I'll be right back." After dropping a kiss to the crown of her head, I grab my bathrobe and hurry out of my room. The sooner I start the coffee, the sooner I can get back to her. When I get downstairs, I pull the ring out of the drawer. Hiding it in my closed fist, I run back upstairs. Although my nerves are alight, I know this is the right time. She's laying on her belly when I walk back into the room but turns her head to greet me with an ear to ear grin. I hop back into bed and pull her close. I steal another smoking hot kiss from her lips before pulling away and raising up on one elbow.

"I have something to ask you."

"Sure?" Although she gives me a curious look, she gives me her rapt attention. Nervous chill bumps erupt on my body. The way she looks at me, full of love yet a little perplexed, it's as if she senses that my nerves are on alert. I give her an anxious smile before taking her left hand in mine. I really hope since the swelling is down in her arm that the ring will fit. Closing my eyes while sucking in a breath, I take a few seconds to fortify myself. When I open my eyes, she's staring at me, her head tilted in confusion.

"Elena, I never want our fairytale to end. You complete me and made me whole again when you came back. Marry me, Elena?" Unable to take my eyes from hers, I clutch the ring tightly in my closed fist, using it for purchase. Her mouth drops open at the same time tears fill her beautiful eyes.

"Elena?" Fearing a rebuttal, a frown forms on my face.

"No you dope, I'm happy. Yes, yes, I'll marry you," she screams, throwing her arms around my neck, squeezing me as hard as she can. When she pulls back, I open my fist to show her the ring. Her mouth falls open once more, her eyes wide and staring at the bauble that's laying in my palm.

"May I?" Nervously, I place the ring at the tip of her finger. Unable to speak, she nods her head eagerly as I push the ring onto her finger, breathing a sigh of relief that it fits.

"Do you like it?"

"It's so beautiful, more so than I ever imagined," she squeals excitedly.

"I'm so glad I picked good." Relief flows through me immediately when I see her practically incandescent as she stares at the ring on her finger.

Beaming, she whispers, "I love you, Damon Salvatore." Her words literally making me melt.

* * *

Taking Elena's hand, we walk the solemn path to my brother's gravesite. I've never brought her or anyone else here before except to come with my family. I'm really happy that we found such a beautiful, yet serene dwelling for his final resting place. I still think about him often. I mean what would my life look like had he been there during my formative years? What would he be doing with his life? He loved animals so much. I think he might have become a veterinarian had he lived.

When we get to his headstone, I stoop down as does Elena beside me. Smiling sadly, I reach up and run my fingers along the scroll work of his name before running my knuckles softly over his likeness that is engraved into the granite.

"Hi George. I brought someone with me to meet you. We're getting married tomorrow and I wanted to introduce you to her," I tell him, my voice cracking with emotion. I still get a little teary-eyed whenever I visit him.

"This is Elena. I love her so much, George. She completes me in a way that I never thought possible." Lacing my fingers with hers, I raise my eyes to her beautiful face and lean in to give her a peck on the lips.

"Sweetheart, this is my oldest brother, George."

"It's nice to meet you, George. Damon has told me so much about you. I really wish you were here so I could meet you in person. But I know you'll be standing there right alongside Damon tomorrow. Thank you for taking care of him when he was growing up." It's then that her composure starts to crack just as mine did.

Reaching up, she wipes a tear from her eye, "I promise you that I'll love and cherish him forever. Rest easy," she finishes, pressing her hand gently against his face as I did. After a few moments of silence except the sound of the wind blowing through the trees, we stand up and say goodbye before slowly walking away, hand in hand.

* * *

Nervous doesn't cover it as I'm standing in the wildflower-carpeted mountains surrounded by our close friends and family. I asked my dad to be my best man so he's standing beside me along with Ric and Stefan as my groomsmen. Elena asked Jenna, Katherine and Caroline to stand up for her.

"You okay buddy?" Ric asks, sensing my anxiety.

"I'm nervous and excited and I can't wait to see her." Although I know this is so very right, I can't seem to calm myself down, repeatedly fisting my clammy hands.

"You'll be fine. Don't sweat it." Dad gives me a smile, trying to assure me that everything is perfect.

"Ric is right son. Take a few slow deep breaths." He drops one of his hands on each of my shoulders massaging gently to help me relax.

Suddenly ' _Pachelbel's Canon in D_ ' in starts wafting through the air. I look up, a gasp escapes my lips when I see how beautiful my bride is standing at the end of the path that leads to me. She's flanked on one side by Brady with Jeremy on her other side. They are going to hand her off to me. Her smile is incandescent when our eyes meet melting the distance between us. Sloane and Hannah step in front of Elena and start up the aisle, tossing wildflower seeds amongst the guests. Elena wanted the girls to scatter seeds instead of flowers, hoping some of them would take root.

Caroline, then Jenna and finally Katherine step forward and waltz up the path towards me. When my niece starts crying, all eyes turn to her for a few seconds. Fortunately mom gets her to quiet down by handing her a bottle. She's nearly eight months old now. Caroline and Stefan named her Jessica Faith Salvatore.

My eyes however remain fixed on Elena. I'm completely enraptured by the sight of her. Once Katherine and the ladies are lined up, Elena, Brady and Jeremy begin their march down the aisle. Although it seems like a lifetime has passed by the time she gets up here, I will always treasure every second of this day.

Brady and Jeremy each give her a hug and shake my hand before stepping aside to take a seat beside my mom. I take her hands in mine, I can't help but notice that hers feel moist too. I love that about her. Father Thomas, my mom's older brother is presiding over our vows. I barely hear the words because the whole of my body, mind and soul is focused only on Elena. When I hear my uncle clear his throat, I know I should pay attention.

"It's time for your vows, Damon," he tells me with a subtle wink.

"I'll be forever grateful for deciding to do my laundry on that one day, Elena. Had I not, I don't know if we would be standing here today. And as cliche' as it sounds, you showed up when I was least expecting you. I intend to love you, cherish you, hold you and grow very old with you. I promise that I will always be here when you are troubled. I promise to be the most dependable person in your life. I promise you laughter and joy and maybe a little heartache at times along the way but I'll always be here for you, my love. I promise to love you for now and for always till death do us part. And to quote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 'The heart, like the mind, has a memory. And in it are kept the most precious keepsakes'. You and our children will always be my most precious keepsake," I tell her, squeezing her hands gently, hoping she feels the endless depth of love I feel for her.

"I, Damon, take you, Elena, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

"And now it's your turn, Elena," Fr. Tom says soft to Elena, turning his attention to her.

"I love that you open doors for little old ladies. I love that you would spend your last dollar just to see someone else happy. I love when you make a mistake because you have the ability to laugh at yourself. I love that you're so strong and so honorable, yet warm and compassionate, loving and accepting of all people. But most of all, Damon, I love that you and I both love each other so very much. I promise to stand by you and never let anything come between us again. I promise to fight for us, to love you through the good times and the challenging times. And I promise to try to keep a sense of humor and adventure as we take our next steps together in our as yet unknown and beautiful future. I love you, Damon," she tells me, her voice choked with emotion. The depth of her words causing tears to begin to well in my own eyes.

"I, Elena, take you, Damon, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

"And now it's time to exchange the rings," he says. I turn to my dad who slips it in my hand. I take Elena's left had in mine, placing the ring on her fourth finger. By all that is holy, I'm thankful that her arm is nearly a normal size today.

"I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," I repeat the words as I slide it on her finger. Elena turns to Katherine who hands her my simple band engraved with our names and today's date on the inside. She turns to me, her eyes meeting mine, repeating the words as she slips it on my left ring finger.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Damon Salvatore," Father Tom announces, leading the applause before shaking my hand and giving me a one armed hug. Soon we're surrounded by our family and friends all wishing us well. I'm simply over the moon as I hold onto Elena, her back to my front, my chin resting on her shoulder, completely oblivious to everyone else but the love of my life, safely ensconced in my arms.

* * *

After a shall we say, 'fun-filled' honeymoon night at the Strater Hotel in Durango, we get up the next morning so we can begin our honeymoon. It's unconventional to say the least but I promised her that one day I'd take her to Yellowstone and by golly, that's where we're going to go. We're both pretty down to earth people and prefer the great outdoors to a fancy party any day of the week.

We stop at mom and dad's house to have breakfast with our whole family before we begin our trip. We hope to get on the road before it gets too late. I'm certain we'll have to stay one night in a hotel because It's a nearly seven hundred and sixty mile drive one way. We're going to be staying in West Yellowstone, Montana. We have reservations there for eight days. Hopefully we'll be able to take in the grandeur of both Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National parks. I can hardly wait to set foot in that magnificent place.

"Good Morning," they all yell when we step into our house.

"Hey," we greet them together, passing around hugs and kisses.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Elena, we're really sisters now. We all wanted to give you guys a send off."

I smile when Katherine and my beautiful bride share a hug. Not wanting to be left out, Hanna joins in for a group hug.

"Thanks everyone. We really appreciate it." I mean it. I'm truly grateful to be part of such a close knit family.

"Damon, can I talk to you?" Katherine asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure," I say before following her into the kitchen.

"What is it?"

"No worries, Damon. I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you. I know I'm hard on you sometimes but it's because I love you so much."

"Katherine, I love you too. I know we have moments but never doubt how grateful I am to have you for a big sister." Closing the distance between us, I wrap her in a hug.

"How's my new little nephew cooking?" Pressing my hand to her belly, I smile when I feel a little flutter against my palm.

"He's doing fine. He's only here because you and Elena kept Hannah for us that weekend."

"Damon Salvatore, baby-making facilitator," I smirk, waggling my brows. She shakes her head and gives me shove before walking out of the kitchen with me right behind her. After some encouraging words from my dad and mom as well as Ric, I go to Elena so we can get started. My heart melts when I see tears in her eyes as she says goodbye to Brady and Jeremy.

"Are you ready, baby?" I ask, putting my hands on her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. She turns to face me, giving me a kiss before throwing her arms first around Brady and then her brother. Once she lets go, I shake each of their hands. They are my brothers now too.

"You take good care of her and drive safely. Come home in one piece," Brady admonishes me, pulling me in for a guy hug.

"I promise I'll bring her home safely to you, brother."

"You'll have me to answer to if you don't, brother," he adds, pointing his finger at me. Taking Elena's hand, I pull her to our car and open the passenger door so she can slide in.

"We'll see you in a couple of weeks." I give them one last long look before slipping into the drivers seat. After making sure we're both buckled up, I turn on the ignition and back out of the driveway. Elena rolls down her window, waving goodbye until our family are out of sight.

* * *

"On the return of the expedition in 1908, John Colter returned to the Yellowstone to trap this region and in doing so became the first white visitor to what is now Yellowstone National Park. Upon his return, his "tales" were so unbelievable that no author or mapmaker would publish it for fear of scrutiny amongst their piers. Colter's stories about the wonders and wildlife, led the fur traders to explore the Yellowstone regions. Most of the mountain men during that era were experienced in trapping and survival, they were also illiterate. Fortunately, Osborn Russell was unique, he knew how to trap, read and write and his journals are the earliest accounts of the Yellowstone region," I explain to her reading from one of the books I bought about the place.

"In 1869, Charles Cook describing 'Artist Point' wrote, "I sat there in amazement, while my companions came up, and after that, it seemed to me it was five minutes before anyone spoke. Language is inadequate to convey a just conception of the grandeur and sublimity of this masterpiece of nature's handiwork."

"He's right, it's so beautiful here," I remark, my mouth hanging open in awe as I survey the landscape.

"Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the United States. It was established as a national park by congress on March 1st, 1872 to help preserve the wildlife and showcase the unique geothermic features throughout the Park. Yellowstone Park is 3,468 square miles and is comprised of lakes, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges. Yellowstone is the perfect vacation for animal lovers with tons of wildlife, fifty mammal species, three hundred and eleven bird species, eighteen fish species, six reptile species, four amphibian species, and five endangered or threatened species to see."

Squeezing her hand, in mine, We continue to walk along the wooden trail, completely in awe of the scenery and the pristine beauty of nature at its finest. Elena smiles at me then turns her attention back to 'The Story Behind the Scenery' book.

"Below Yellowstone Lake is a super volcano causing large amounts of geothermic activity. There are more than 300 geysers throughout Yellowstone as well as hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. Some of Yellowstone's most famous and breathtaking geysers include Old Faithful and Steamboat Springs - the tallest geyser in the world."

"I really hope the super volcano doesn't decide to erupt in our lifetime. Can you imagine the global catastrophe and sheer number of casualties? It's mind boggling to even consider it, Elena."

'It would be catastrophic. The book goes on to talk about the fires in 1988, Thirty six percent of the park equaling 793,880 acres burned."

"That's really tragic," I muse, my eyes looking at the trees in the distance.

"The fires started out as small individual fires but the drought and winds caused the fires to combine into one large fire that burned out of control for several months. Fighting the fires cost the U.S. over $120 million but it never did stop the fire. It was the snow and moisture that finally brought the fires to an end. The fire burned down tens of millions of trees and plants leaving the Park looking desolate and black with ashes. Almost immediately, planes started dropping grass seed throughout the area while crews started replanting trees and other plants to help regenerate the Park. However, the Park naturally started to regenerate and plants and trees start sprouting on their own. Today the Park has much more stringent guidelines to fight forest fires to help protect the Park from such devastation in the future.

Beneath Yellowstone National Park in the western United States, lies a hot, upwelling plume of mantle. Heat from the mantle melts the overlying rocks and the resulting magma pools close to Earth's surface. Areas such as these are known as volcanic hotspots. Occasionally, molten rock from a hotspot will erupt. Three enormous eruptions occurred at the Yellowstone hotspot 2.1 million, 1.3 million, and 640,000 years ago. Two of these released so much material that the area is often referred to as a supervolcano. A supervolcano is a volcano that at one point in time erupted more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of deposits. That is enough material to fill up Lake Erie twice; Lake Erie is one of the Great Lakes, and it has a volume of 480 cubic kilometers.

The eruption at Yellowstone 2.1 million years ago is thought to have released about 2,450 cubic kilometers of material, whereas the eruption at Yellowstone 640,000 years ago is thought to have released about 1,000 cubic kilometers of material. Scientists can obtain estimates of releases from historic eruptions by looking at the thickness of deposits surrounding the volcano.

The last known eruption of a supervolcano on Earth occurred at Lake Taupo in New Zealand 26,500 years ago. Given the incredible power of supervolcanoes, such an eruption at Yellowstone would have catastrophic consequences. One recent study estimates that another supervolcanic eruption at Yellowstone would blanket North America in ash and some areas close to the hotspot could be covered by more than a meter of debris. Supervolcanoes can also have pronounced cooling effects on the climate for several years after an eruption because of the sulfur dioxide that is released to the atmosphere. The sulfur dioxide forms aerosols that block incoming sunlight. Eventually, the sulfur dioxide from the eruption will wash out of the atmosphere and the climate cooling effect will subside.

Many scientists think that it is unlikely that another supervolcanic eruption will occur at Yellowstone any time soon, for example, in the next few thousand years. Experts also say that a supervolcanic eruption at Yellowstone is not necessarily imminent. The Yellowstone hotspot is being monitored with numerous instruments that can detect precursors to eruptions such as earthquake swarms that indicate magma is moving beneath the surface. The monitoring data are posted to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory website. Scientists think that they would be able to detect precursory activity to a catastrophic eruption by at least a few weeks or months prior to the event, thus giving them time issue any necessary warnings."

Taking her hand, we walk the path of the upper geyser basin which includes Old Faithful. I was so afraid Elena would forget our camera but she didn't thankfully. However, she uses her phone to record the eruption of Old Faithful.

We also take in the mud volcanoes, the paint pots and the terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs. We're both awestruck when we see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It is truly beyond beautiful. Both of us were so taken by it that we just sat there for well over an hour and watched as the water crashed down from the top of the waterfall to the Yellowstone river below. There are just no words to describe it.

After spending several days hiking in and around Yellowstone, we drive south to spend a couple of days in The Grand Tetons before we have to go back to Denver.

"Oh my gosh, Damon, they're simply stunning. There's no foothills, just jagged peaks," Elena exclaims, pointing to the mountain range. It only consists of a few peaks but they look like they're right out of a fairytale. They're indescribably gorgeous.

I pull the car over to stop at scenic pull out on the highway so she can snap a few pictures. Once we get back in the car, we drive until we get to the Jenny Lake turnout. The Jenny Lake Trail is a seven point one mile long hiking trail which circles Jenny Lake. The trail begins at the Jenny Lake campground or can be accessed at several other trailheads. One of the most popular and easiest hikes in the park, the trail provides pedestrian access to the Cascade Canyon Trail and is overlapped by the Valley Trail along the west side of Jenny Lake.

Taking her hand, the two of us take the seven mile hike around the lake. The water is so crystal clear that you can see the lake bed. It is also indescribable in its beauty. Once we finish and are back in the car, Elena starts to read about the park while I concentrate on driving us to Jackson Hole to spend the night.

The peaks of the Teton Range, regal and imposing as they stand nearly seven thousand feet above the valley floor, make one of the boldest geologic statements in the Rockies. Unencumbered by foothills, they rise through steep coniferous forest into alpine meadows strewn with wildflowers, past blue and white glaciers to naked granite pinnacles. The Grand, Middle, and South Tetons form the heart of the range. But their neighbors, especially Mount Owen, Teewinot Mountain, and Mount Moran, are no less spectacular.

A string of jewel-like lakes, fed by mountain streams, are set tightly against the steep foot of the mountains. Beyond them extends the broad valley called Jackson Hole, covered with sagebrush and punctuated by occasional forested buttes and groves of aspen trees. It's an excellent habitat for pronghorn, deer, elk, and other animals. The Snake River, having begun its journey in southern Yellowstone National Park near the Teton Wilderness, winds leisurely past the Tetons on its way to Idaho. The braided sections of the river create wetlands that support moose, elk, deer, beavers, trumpeter swans, sandhill cranes, Canada geese, and all sorts of ducks.

The Tetons are normal faultblock mountains. About thirteen million years ago, two blocks of Earth's crust began to shift along a fault line, one tilting down while the other lifted up. So far, movement has measured some thirty thousand vertical feet, most of it from the subsidence of Jackson Hole.

Before Europeans arrived, the Teton area was an important plant-gathering and hunting ground for Indians of various tribes. In the early 1800s, mountain men spent time here; it was they who called this flat valley ringed by mountains Jackson's Hole after the trapper Davey Jackson. The first settlers were ranchers and farmers. Some of their buildings are historic sites today, although ranching is still practiced in the vicinity. When the park was established, it included only the mountains and the glacial lakes at their feet. Portions of the valley were added in 1950.

Today the park's four hundred and eighty five square miles encompass both the Teton Range and much of Jackson Hole. Park roads, all in the valley, offer an ever changing panorama of the Tetons. Most visitors never go far from the road. But the Tetons are popular with hikers; backcountry trails climb high into the mountains—and behind them. Easy trails in the valley lead around lakes and beside wetlands where visitors see moose, elk, deer, and all kinds of birds.

We're both exhausted by the time we check into our hotel in Jackson Hole. We have to get up early to start for home. I don't look forward to the six hundred and fifty mile drive back to Denver. It's not quite as far as the drive here was as we left from Durango. After I carry our suitcases into our room, we take turns taking a shower. Once we are done, we go out to explore some of the shops in in town, get something to eat and then come back to our room to get some sleep.

We walk to the famous elk antler arch. Elena turns on the charm, convincing a middle aged man into taking our picture standing under the arch. After that we browse through some of the shops picking up a few more souvenirs and gifts for our family. As soon as she decides she's done shopping, we practically drag ourselves to our room, falling asleep almost as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

Beep, beep, beep, the alarm clock blares annoyingly the next morning. Still fatigued, I press the sleep button to get just a few more minutes of shut eye. Fifteen minutes later when I starts squawking again, I lazily sit up at the bedside, dropping my face into my hands to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Once I get my bearings, I get up to take another shower to try to wake up a little bit and to give Elena a few more moments to sleep.

Walking out of the bathroom with the towel around my waist, I quickly dress before waking my gorgeous wife.

"What time is it?" she asks, her voice thick with sleep. She's so cute when she wakes up. Slowly she sits up, rubbing her eyes just like I did. I offer her my hand and help her up. She gets in the shower herself. Coming out of the bathroom, she dresses quickly while I pack our things. I carry our suitcases while she brings along the bags of souvenirs, we pack them in the trunk, jump in and begin the drive back to reality...

* * *

"Welcome back, Damon. How was the honeymoon?" Monica asks me when I walk up to the nurses station.

"It was fabulous. I've wanted to go to Yellowstone my whole life and we finally made it. I intend to go back there someday."

"You look great, married life seems to agree with you?"

"Yeah," I reply, smiling giddily.

"Hey Damon, glad you're back," Natalie remarks, walking past me.

'Thanks Nat," I tell her as I watch her walk into a patient room.

"Here's your assignments, Damon." Danielle hands me a stack of papers. I take a moment to go to clock in and assign my patients in the computer before standing up to find Danielle again to get report on my patients.

"Damon, you're back," Matt remarks, giving me a playful slap on my upper arm.

"I am and I'm glad you're working tonight. We'll catch up later okay?" Nodding he walks back towards the nurses desk, sidetracked when a patient call light goes off.

"Hello Mrs. Thomas. This is Damon. He'll be your nurse tonight. I'm just going to give him the scoop okay?" She looks up from the magazine she's reading to nod and smile.

"Hi Mrs. Thomas," I greet her, turning my back to write my name and Matt's name on her white board.

"Mrs. Thomas had an appy this afternoon. She's now on hourly vitals till nine o'clock. Her IV is normal saline with twenty millequivalents of potassium chloride at one hundred and twenty five cc per hour. She has Cefazolin ordered every eight hours for six doses. Dr. Statz ordered Toradol IV every six hours for eight doses with Morphine prn for break through pain. She's doing really well. She's already been up to the bathroom."

"Please use your call button if you need anything," I add, pointing to it.

"I will need a sleeping pill later."

"I'll check your medication list to see if Dr. Statz ordered anything. If not, I'll give him a call. Do you take one at home?"

"I take Ambien when I can't get to sleep on my own."

"Good to know. I'll be back a little later." I give her a smile as Danielle and I walk out of her room. Once we finish with report, I go about my business. After getting my patients medications in order, I push my cart from room to room while I do my assessments and chart them. I see that Mrs. Thomas does have her Ambien ordered thus saving me from having to make a call to her surgeon.

"I'm going to run down to the cafeteria before it closes to get something to eat. I'll come right back because I know you're busy too. I'll eat during the night when I have a moment."

"Take your time going but hurry back," she teases, smiling at me. Shaking my head, I duck into the stairwell and trot downstairs to the cafeteria. Seeing nothing appealing when I look at today's menu, I get in line to get something from the salad bar. I turn around when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"How are you Damon?"

"I'm good, Meredith. How are Charlie and the baby?"

"Charlie is smitten with his little brother and Harry is ten months old already." Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out her cellphone to show me pictures of Charlie holding baby Harry.

"You have two very handsome little men. Tell Charlie that I'd like him to be on my little league team again this year."

"I do indeed and I will talk to Charlie. I think he's hoping to have you for his coach again too," she adds, sliding the phone back into her pocket.

Pulling out my own phone, I show her a picture of my niece. "Jessica is almost nine months old already. I don't know where the time goes."

"Surely Katherine didn't have another baby?"

"No, Jessica is Stefan and Caroline's baby. But Katherine is pregnant." When I look at her again, her eyes are wide and focused on my left ring finger.

"You're married?" she gasps, her mouth agape.

"I am. Elena and I tied the knot four weeks ago."

"I never dreamed you'd marry her. She only has one breast and I know that you're a boob man," she sneers, lobbing a pointed barb at me. Turning my back to her, somehow I manage to maintain my composure and keep my voice calm even though every cell in my body wants to pounce on her.

"I'm not going to dignify that with a reply because it's really none of your God damn business, Meredith."

"Fine," she snaps and walks away. Breathing a sigh of relief, I pay for my food and run back upstairs, forever grateful that I didn't take things any farther with her.

* * *

The next morning when I get home from work. I take the time to shower before crawling into bed with my still sleeping wife. With her back facing me, I pull her close, wrap my arm around her middle and bury my face in her hair, breathing her in.

"Good morning," she murmurs sleepily.

"It's early, go back to sleep." Yawning widely, I barely feel her hand atop mine when I drift off to sleep.

When I wake up later, I turn to look at the clock, it's nearly four in the afternoon. I breathe a huge sigh of relief because I don't have to work again tonight. I must've been tired plus I'm still a bit angry about Meredith but I know she's being petty and hateful so why waste the energy being mad. She just isn't worth the effort anymore. Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes before getting up to stumble into the bathroom. After slipping a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, I go downstairs to look for my beautiful wife.

Finding her at the computer, I walk behind her, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. "What ya doing?"

"I'm doing a little research for my next book. Did you sleep well?"

"I slept like a rock. I didn't expect that I'd sleep the day away though. You should've gotten me up." Leaning over, I kiss her delectable lips.

"Damon, can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course," I tell her, grabbing one of our kitchen chairs to sit down beside her.

"What is it?"

"I was thinking about looking into reconstructive surgery. I never had it done before because I was so certain that I was going to die, I didn't see the point. I don't even know if it's an option anymore given that it's been a couple of years since my surgery?"

"Elena, I love you just the way you are but if that's something you really want, it's okay with me if you'd like for us to speak to a plastic surgeon. But Elena, if it's not something you want to tackle, I'm fine with that too."

"Oh Damon, I love you so much," she says softly, palming my cheeks before pressing her lips to mine. Using my tongue, I press the tip against her lips. When she opens her mouth, I push my tongue inside to dance with hers. She tastes so good. Even though I just got dressed, I stand up, throw her over my shoulder and run up the stairs. Quick as a whip, we're both naked and staring lustily at each other. Feeling a shiver surge up my spine, I pounce on to the bed and on top of her, adhering my lips to hers till she pulls back panting for a breath.

Capturing my lips once more, she's matching me kiss for kiss, her tongue dueling frantically with mine until I pull back, my chest heaving. Using her hands she grabs onto the curve of my ass, kneading my flesh and pulling me flush against her. I shudder, knowing that she wants it as much as I do. I gasp when I feel her hand wrap around my raging erection.

Hissing, I take a nip in the soft spot just below her collarbone before using my tongue to sooth it. When I hear Elena moan with desire, I damn near lose it like a teenager at his first rodeo.

Reaching up, I pin her hands, staring at her long and hard. Leaning forward, she sucks my bottom lip, biting gently before pulling her right arm free to give my ass a squeeze. Feeling the last of my restraint crumble, I roll her onto her belly.

"On all fours," I grunt, my voice husky with desire. Shaking off a shiver when she mewls, my dick hardens even more when she looks over her shoulder at me, licking her lips. Grabbing a hold of her hips, I slam into her, hard and deep, spurred on by the moans that escape her mouth. With her hands fisted in the sheets, she pushes back, meeting me thrust for thrust. Letting my head fall back, I continue my frenzied pace. After letting go of one hip, I reach up and lace my fingers through her hair, fisting it as I frantically chase a release for both of us. With one final punishing thrust, Elena screams my name as she comes, her body shuddering and contracting pulling me right over the precipice with her. Waves of pleasure crash over me with the most intense orgasm that I've ever felt.

Still shuddering inside of her, I collapse right on top of her when her arms give out. When my brain starts to synapse again, I roll off, staring at her still heaving bosom. My eyes are glazed from the depth of that release, unlike anything we've ever shared before. With a shaky hand, I reach over to brush a few strands of her sweat dampened hair off of her forehead. As soon as I can feel my legs, I get up to go to the bathroom. Mere moments later when I get back, she's already sound asleep. Smiling, I crawl back to bed and pull her into my arms. Using my hand and fingers, I stroke her soft skin back and forth. As my eyelids grow heavy, I drop a kiss to the crown of her head. With my body sated and blissful, I let my eyes fall closed and drift off to sleep.

* * *

"What time is it?" Elena asks, nervously pacing in our bedroom.

"About thirty seconds since the last time you asked. Calm down sweetheart."

"I can't. I want this so badly," she says, a melancholy look on her face.

"So do I," I tell her softly, standing up to pull her into my arms.

"It's going to happen one way or another. I promise." I give her a reassuring look before pressing a kiss to her cheek. Glancing down at my watch, I see that the three minutes have passed. Knowing she's nervous, I lace my fingers with hers. Although I feel on edge myself, I try to stay calm to keep her from melting down.

"Come on, let's go see what it says." The two of us walk into the bathroom together.

"You look, I'm afraid to," she says her voice thick as she's on the cusp of tears. I pick up the stick, deflating visibly when I see that it's negative again. We've been trying to get pregnant for some time already. With each negative test, we both feel that much more frustrated. It literally feels like a knife to the gut when I see Elena's tears. Having a baby is something we both want so badly.

"Damon," she cries, burying her face against my chest.

Holding her tight, I try to soothe her but I know she's hurting just as much as I am.

"We'll keep trying but maybe we should look into adoption?"

"Would you really do that?" Tilting my head, I give her a nod, smiling when her eyes light up immediately.

"Of course. I want a child too. It doesn't matter how we have our babies, so long as we have them."

"Thank you so much, Damon. I do love you with everything in me." After wrapping her arms around my middle, she gives me a hard squeeze.

"I love you too. Even if we adopt, that doesn't mean we have to quit trying to get you pregnant," I add, giving her a tease with my eye thing. Nodding, she takes my hand and we walk out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

"Let's just watch a fun movie to take our minds off of things."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Classic Disney."

"How about the original version of ' _The Absent-Minded Professor_ '?"

"Perfect," she utters, patting the seat beside her. After I put the movie in the DVD player, I hand her the remote. Walking into the kitchen, I grab us each a bottle of beer and throw a couple of bags of popcorn in the microwave. Leaning my backside against the countertop while I wait for the popcorn, I smile imagining Elena holding our baby in her arms. I'm so glad I mentioned adoption because she visibly relaxed after I brought it up. Once it's finished, I pour both bags into a big bowl and walk back to the living room. I hand her the bowl and then drop down beside her on the couch. She shimmies up close to me, pushing the play button at the same time. I take a moment to open both bottle of beer, handing her one before chugging a swallow from mine.

"That's good stuff," I remark, setting the bottle down. Just as the movie begins, I pull her close, wrap her in my arms and breathe her in, letting her unique scent fill my heart.

"Thank you, Damon. You've made me so incredibly happy. I never imagined my life could be so perfect," she says softly, raising her eyes to mine for a moment as she snuggles in against my chest.

"I feel the same way. I know I must've done something good in my life. Otherwise, I don't know how we would've ended up here. I love you," I whisper back, stealing a peck from her lips before settling down to enjoy the movie, holding my world in my arms.

* * *

 _This is the longest chapter I've ever written. Over 8000 words._

 _One more chapter... :(_

 _My parents worked in Yellowstone for 5 summers. They were there during the fires of 1988. It'll take 100 years for the forest to replenish itself but some of the seed cones, only open up to spread their seeds with fire. They're called 'serotinous cones'. So although devastating, it's nature's way of helping to replenish the forest._

 _Thank you so much Eva. Love you so much, truly._

 _Thank you all so much for putting this over the 300 review mark. I'm literally giddy! You are all the best, know it, believe it, live it!_

 _Chapter title: 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' by Starship_

 _Please give ' **Tears in Heaven** ' and ' **Angels Fall** ' a look. There are several completed stories in my profile if you're at all interested. For whatever reason, 'What if I Was Nothing' has the most reviews but 'Nothing Else Matters' was the most popular in terms of follows and favorites. _

_Eva and I really do try to venture into stories, careers, plot lines that we haven't seen here before. We like to do things fresh and new and different. I'll never make Katherine the one that damaged Damon by cheating on him. That's been done so many times and in so many stories. Although she was 'the other woman' in 'My Favorite Wife', that story is a comedy so she wasn't used in the context of a cheater or someone who emotionally destroyed Damon._

 _Do remember to click the * **REVIEW** * button._

 _Have a safe and happy weekend. Thank you all again. See you next week for the epilogue._


	21. Can You Feel the Love Tonight

_I hope you're all having a fabulous day._

 _Thank you all for joining me on this journey and for supporting my stories._

 _Without further adieu, I present the conclusion of 'Rainy Days and Mondays'._

* * *

Three Years into the future:

"Thank you, Mr. Lockwood. We don't know how to begin to thank you," I utter, nearly speechless when I look at Elena holding our new little son in her arms. We've been trying for nearly two years to get pregnant without success. Knowing we wanted to be parents, we filled out all the paperwork and went through all the scrutiny to adopt a baby. Finally six months later, our son is here. His name is Hunter George Salvatore, named after my brother.

One week old Hunter is a beautiful child with reddish-blonde hair and blue eyes. His mother is a teenager who knew she couldn't provide for him. We're so grateful that she chose adoption for her baby. I reach down and rub my knuckle along his chubby little cheek. Smiling widely, next I put my pinkie finger in his palm, giddy when he wraps his tiny little fingers around it, squeezing tightly. Elena is positively glowing with happiness.

As soon as we leave the adoption agency, we drive over to Katherine and Enzo's house. She's going to drive us to the airport so we don't have to leave our car in the airport parking lot for the next several days. We're flying with Brady to Las Vegas to spend a few days with Jeremy.

Katherine and Enzo's little boy, Aiden is almost three years old now. He was born just a few months after Elena and I got married. The little guy idolizes Hannah who's now eleven. I can't believe my niece is so grown up already. As soon as we pull into the driveway, Katherine is outside demanding to see our new baby boy.

"What's his name?" Pulling the baby blanket back, she coos and fusses over him. We kept names a secret since we didn't know if we would be getting a boy or a girl.

"Hunter George." I hold onto the baby carrier while Elena climbs out of the backseat. She wanted to sit in the back seat with our baby.

"He's absolutely perfect," Katherine says, her voice full of excitement for us.

"Mama," Aiden calls, running to Katherine. I hand Katherine the baby carrier while I scoop Aiden into my arms.

"How's my little man?"

"Baby," he squeals, pointing at little Hunter.

"Yes, that's my little boy." I lean him over so he can get a good look at his new baby cousin.

"Hold?"

"You can hold him after you wash your hands okay?" Shaking his head up and down animatedly, I laugh as I carry him into the house. Elena and Katherine follow behind. Hannah is in school at this hour. We spend nearly an hour showing our child off and playing with Aiden before we pile back in Katherine's car to drive to the Denver airport. After telling Katherine goodbye, Elena and I check in for our flight. By the time we get to our gait, Brady is waiting for us. He smiles as wide as I've ever seen when he sees Elena carrying our son.

"He's so adorable," he gushes, greeting us as he pulls Elena into a hug. Elena gently puts Hunter in his arms. Smiling widely at my son, he stays standing so he can sway him gently in his arms when he starts to fuss a little bit. In minutes, he's sound asleep again. We take a seat while we wait to board the plane. I get up to go to find the men's bathroom and by the time I get back, people are standing in line to board the plane. Finally I think to myself. I have to hold Hunter's carrier out in front of me because the aisle is so narrow. Elena, baby Hunter and I sit on one side of the plane, Brady takes his seat right in front of me.

Tired, I close my eyes, only waking up when Elena gives me a gentle nudge, telling me that we've landed at McCarren Airport in Las Vegas. Fortunately Jeremy is waiting for us when we arrive at our luggage carousel. Elena practically leaps into his arms. As soon as she lets him go, she yanks me over to him so she can show off our new baby. While Jeremy and Elena are fawning over him, a young lady steps next to Jeremy, linking her arm through his.

"I want you all to meet my fiancé, Anna."

"This is my sister Elena, her husband Damon, their new baby Hunter and you already know Brady," Jeremy says, introducing all of us.

After we get acquainted, Brady and I grab our luggage and follow Jeremy and Anna to their car, stowing it in the trunk. Once we get to Jeremy's home, we unload our things. Jeremy's art gallery is doing really well. As such, he and Anna bought a three bedroom home with a backyard pool. The heat in Las Vegas can be stifling. After a bit of obsessing by Elena that Hunter has everything he needs, she finally relaxes, agreeing to let Anna stay home with him so the four of us can go to the Vegas strip and do a little gambling.

Jeremy parks the car at the 'Fashion Show Mall' parking lot. Elena practically creams herself with the prospect of going shopping. Taking Elena's hand in mine, we start walking through the mall, stopping at the café court to get something to eat. Jeremy and Brady excuse themselves to go across the street to 'The Wynn' while Elena and I stay at the mall. We're supposed to meet up with them in a couple of hours in the food court. She wants to do a little shopping for Hunter as well as pick up some gifts for Hannah, Aiden, Jessica and Sloane. I remind her that we have to get something for our adult friends too.

Hand in hand, we walk through the shops. Her mouth practically forms the 'O' when she looks at the display in the window of the 'Louis Vuitton' store. After promising that maybe Santa will bring her a bag this year, we move on, stopping in the Nordstrom store. After picking up a few little outfits for the baby in the children's section, we take a moment to stop in the makeup and fragrance part of the store. Elena picks out bottles of Jo Malone's Pomegranate Noir and Wild Bluebell perfumes. In the Sephora store, she picks up an eyeshadow palette from the Makeup Forever counter. From there we go to the Levi's store where we each pick up a new pair of jeans and a couple of tee shirts. Before we realize it, our time is up so we head back to the food court to meet up with Jeremy and Brady. Plus I want to put a few coins in the slot machines too.

After leaving the mall, we walk down the strip towards 'Caesar's Palace' walking through their forum shops. Again Elena is taken with the shopping, finding herself another pair of jeans and top in the 'Gap' store. After watching the animatronics show and looking at the aquarium, we walk back outside and down the strip, stopping at the Bellagio to watch the dancing fountains.

We continue our trek down the strip till we get to New York, New York. There is some shopping in there too. Elena goes into the 'Hershey's' store with Brady while Jeremy and I walk down to the casino floor to try our luck. Maybe an hour later, Elena and Brady approach me, more shopping bags in hand. Smiling, I pucker my lips practically begging for a kiss. With an eye roll and a chuckle, she finally obliges me, smacking her lips to mine.

"It looks like you found a few things?" I chuckle when I glance at the number of packages that Brady is carrying.

"Brady was kind enough to offer to carry them. I got some tee shirts in the Hershey store for the little ones. I was hoping we could walk back on the other side of the street and go into the 'M&M' store too. Pretty please?"

"Of course, sweetheart," I reassure her, my eyes on the slot machine. When I push the button, my mouth drops when I hit a jackpot winning twelve hundred dollars.

"Way to go, man," Jeremy remarks, high fiving me.

"I can't believe it, Damon."

"Me neither. But now you can do a little more shopping." I give her a flash of my eye thing before handing her the voucher to feed into the cash machine. And since I don't want to lose it all by continuing to play, I cash out the voucher that I kept for myself.

From there the four of us continue up the street to go to Mandalay Bay. I want to see the shark reef aquarium. We walk through the casino, paying our entrance fee when we finally get to the aquarium. It's the coolest thing ever. It's massive with sharks swimming about. They also have other species of wildlife to view. Perhaps my favorite part of the aquarium was a little area where we really appeared to be under the sea. We spend a couple of hours enjoying the sites. Of course, I had to buy my son a shark tee shirt and a small stuffed shark.

After we finish, we walk across the street and start walking back towards the Mall. When we get to M&M and Coke World, Elena finds a few more things for the kids. By the time we get to Margaritaville, everyone is famished so we go in to get something to eat.

While we wait for our food, Elena and I walk into the Margaritaville store to get some tee shirts for our adult friends and family. They're really bright and colorful. I find a couple for myself as does Elena. After paying for our purchases, we walk back to the café to enjoy our food and a pitcher of mango margaritas. Once we finish eating, we head back to the mall so we can go home to our son. As we're walking through the mall to go back to the parking garage, Elena looks a little green, running into the public restroom as quickly as she can. I can't follow her because it's a women's room. Although still looking a little pale, she finally comes out of the bathroom.

"Are you okay, baby?" Reaching up, I push a strand up hair behind her ear and feel her forehead to see if she's feverish.

"I think so. It's probably the heat, Damon."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart," she reassures me before turning her attention to Jeremy.

"Can we go back now, Jer? I miss my little boy."

"Of course. It's 116 degrees outside today. That's not uncommon here." After stopping to get Elena some water, the two of us follow along as they lead us to where the car is parked. Anxious to see my son as well, I breathe a sigh of relief when we finally reach Jeremy's car.

"A nice dip in the pool might feel good," Brady adds.

"I agree. It'll feel really good." I raise my hand, raking my fingers through my sweaty tendrils. Obviously exhausted, Elena is sound asleep, her head on my shoulder by the time Jeremy pulls into his driveway.

"Elena, we're home," I whisper, jostling her gently to awaken her.

"Wha.. what?" She looks around, a bit confused as to where we are.

"We're at Jeremy's house. Come, let's go see our son." Smiling widely, I help her out of the car, letting her go to the baby while I help bring our things in the house and into our room. Once I finish, I slip into my swim trunks to join Brady and Jeremy in the pool. With Anna beside her, Elena brings Hunter outside too. I get out of the water to hold him while Elena freshens up, taking a dip in the pool herself. Not wanting the baby exposed to this kind of heat for too long, Elena gets out of the water to take him back in the house while Anna jumps into the pool with us.

We probably spend an a couple of hours lounging by the water. When I go into our room, Elena and Hunter are sound asleep on our bed. His collapsible bassinette is beside her. I don't want him to sleep in our bed though because I've read stories of babies being asphyxiated when a parent inadvertently blocks their airway by rolling on top of the infant. I couldn't live with myself if something like that happened to our son. Very carefully and with due diligence, I lift my son from her embrace and put him in his bassinette. Smiling, I stoop over toe kiss his beautiful face before crawling into bed beside my wife, falling asleep almost immediately.

When I wake up, my wife is nowhere to be found while my baby is screaming at my bedside. Curiously, I jump out of bed to pick him up and try to soothe him. Shortly after, Elena comes back into the bedroom, looking just as green as she did yesterday.

"Elena, you must have a stomach bug of some sort?"

"I think so. I think it was the shrimp I ate yesterday." Looking fatigued, she drops back onto the bed, closing her eyes.

"You rest, I'm going to get him a bottle."

"Thanks," she whispers, her eyes opening momentarily. I lean over to press a kiss to her temple before walking out of our bedroom, pulling the door closed behind me.

* * *

We've been back in Denver for a few weeks. Elena got over whatever it was that she caught while in Vegas. However, she's still tired often. I want her to go to the Dr. to get some blood work checked. She may be anemic that she's so fatigued. Although she argues with me vehemently, I might add, finally she agrees to let me take her in.

Hunter is growing like a weed. I can't believe my boy is already six weeks old. Elena was born to be a mother. She practically glows whenever she has him in her arms. Since Katherine is at work, we drop Hunter off at Ric's house. Jenna said she'd watch him while we're at the doctor's office.

"Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore?" I hear someone say. Elena and I stand up and follow the nurse back to an exam room.

"Damon, Elena, how are you?" the doctor asks when he steps inside, joining us.

"Why don't you tell me what brought you in today?"

"She's been so fatigued, almost dragging herself inside the house. We were in Vegas several weeks ago, I think she had some food poisoning because she got really sick. That seemed to clear up once we got home but then the fatigue set in," I explain, lacing my fingers with hers.

"Since she had her TRAM flap reconstruction, she's supposed to be doing exercises. The TRAM stands for the transverse rectus abdominis muscle, which is located in the lower abdomen, between the waist and the pubic bone. A TRAM flap uses a part of this muscle, its blood vessels, and some belly fat to rebuild the breast. She's supposed to walk regularly and do stretching exercises. She's just been too exhausted and I'm worried that she may be anemic or worse," I tell him, my voice anxious as I squeeze her hand to anchor myself.

"Thank you for the lesson, Damon," he teases before standing up to examine Elena. After listening to her heart and lungs, he palpates her belly, feeling around for anything untoward. After he offers his hand to help her sit up, he pulls a seat next to the exam table.

"I'm going to order some blood work and a urine test. Sit tight, I'm going to have the nurse come in. I'll be back once we get some results." With that, he steps out of the room. We're both on edge till he comes back, holding her chart in his hand.

"Well?" I ask when he takes his own sweet time. I do a double take when his eyes are bright and full of mirth.

"What is it?"

"You're pregnant, Elena." A big smile is on his face. He knows how much we've both wanted this. We've talked to him before about our fertility problems so he's as excited as we are. It takes a few seconds for it to sink in and when it does, I jump out of my chair, wrap my arms around her and bury my face in her neck.

"Are you sure?" Elena asks, tears leaking from her eyes.

"I'm sure. Here's a gown. Put this on and I'll see if I can steal Dr. Mikaelson's sonogram machine for a moment so we can have a look at your baby." Smiling, he walks out momentarily so Elena can change. Minutes later he comes back, squirts the Doppler gel on her belly before gliding the transducer over her skin. Our eyes widen at the same time our mouths drop agape when the image comes to life on the screen. He shows us our baby's beating heart.

"I can't believe it."

"Thank you," I tell her softly, my mouth still hanging open in wonderment. After printing off a couple of pictures, he exits so Elena can get dressed. As soon as she's standing, I pull her into my arms, giving her a scorching kiss. Just as I pull away, the nurse walks in to hand Elena prescriptions for prenatal vitamins. We follow her out of the room, stopping only at the reception desk to make an appointment for next month. I feel ten feet high and invincible and it's all thank to my gorgeous wife.

* * *

"Welcome to the world, Finley Jade Salvatore," I almost squeal the first time I get to hold my newborn daughter. When I glance at Elena, she's reaching to wipe away her happy tears. Once she situates herself so she's comfortable, I gently place her in Elena's arms. My beautiful wife is simply beaming.

"She's so perfect, Damon." After sharing a glance with me, she gently fingering Finley's hair while holding her close.

"Have you given a thought to how busy we're going to be now with two babies? Hunter is just ten months old!"

"I don't care. I'm just so happy right now." Again she forces herself to raise her eyes to mine, her smile incandescent.

"Me neither. And speaking of Hunter, I'm going to go get him. Okay?"

"Please do." After taking a moment to drop a kiss to Finley's downy head and my wife's lips, I walk out of her room to find our family who are probably monopolizing the obstetrics waiting room. When I get there, I just cross my eyes and marvel at my big wonderful family. Katherine, Hannah and Brady, who's sitting on the floor playing with Hunter, are here for moral support. Enzo stayed home with Aiden. When Hunter sees me, he grabs a hold of Brady with his little fists and pulls himself upright. He started walking three weeks ago. Elena and I couldn't have been more proud.

"Da," he squeaks, as he starts to walk towards me. I stoop down holding my arms out for him. He starts to teeter, landing on his bottom. For a millisecond, he looks like he's going to start crying but he laughs instead causing the rest of us to laugh right along with him. It's then that I notice his little ' _I'm the big brother'_ tee shirt.

"Where did you get this little man?" I ask, picking him up, my eyes on my sister.

"I couldn't resist. Congratulations, little brother." Katherine walks over, raising her arm to wrap around my neck to give me a hug.

"I'm proud of you, Damon."

"I'm kind of proud of me too," I laugh before adding, "Thanks Katherine. I love you."

"So are we just going to stand here or are you going to introduce us to your daughter?" She takes a moment to walk over, startling Hannah. With her ear plugs in securely while watching something on her tablet, she hadn't even noticed me.

"Come let's go to see the baby and then we'll go home." Hannah nods, pulling her earplugs out.

"Hi, uncle Damon."

"Hi? Where's my hug?"

Smiling, she sprints over to me, wrapping her arm around my neck, taking care not to bump Hunter. Once she lets go, she steps back beside her mom. Brady brings up the rear as we go back into Elena's room. Once everyone takes their turn holding Finley while Elena fusses over Hunter, they tell us goodbye so Elena can get some rest. Using my phone, I snap a few pictures of my family, texting them to my parents, Jeremy and Caroline. When I see Elena's eyes falling shut, I tell her that I'm going to take Hunter to Brady's for the night so I can stay with her.

My lovely wife surprises me when she tells me to go home with Hunter and come back in the morning. She doesn't want him to start feeling neglected and jealous with a new baby in the house. He's still just a baby himself. After kissing my girls goodnight, I pick him up. After stooping over with him in my arms so Elena can kiss him goodnight, we leave. With him in my arms, we make a quick detour to my floor to tell my co-workers the good news.

"Hi Damon," Monica greets me when I walk up to the nurses desk.

"Hi Hunter. My goodness, look how big he is already," Natalie remarks when I turn towards her, hearing her voice.

"How's Elena?"

"She and my new daughter are sound asleep."

"Congratulations," everyone at the nurses station remarks.

"What's her name?"

"Finley Jade. And she's beautiful." Hunter is now dozing off on my shoulder with his mouth hanging open adorably. After saying goodnight, I take my sleeping son outside and to my car, sliding him very carefully into the baby seat. After securing him in, I close the door and jump behind the wheel to go home.

* * *

"Have I died and gone to heaven?" I hardly recognize my own sultry voice when I see her naked and spread out for me. Smiling seductively, she uses her finger in a come hither motion to beckon me to join her. Wearing on a towel, I walk to her side of the bed, bending over to smack her lips in a heady kiss. Taking her face in my hands, I tilt it just the way I want it to deepen the kiss, demanding entrance with my tongue. Using her deft hands, she drops the towel from my waist, tugging on my body to join her on the bed.

Growling hungrily, I practically leap onto the bed. Using my hands, I spread her legs to open her up. After positioning myself and throwing her legs over my shoulders, I blow a puff of my warm breath over her already heated center. When our eyes meet, I flash her my eye thing before taking a long, languorous swipe up to her clit.

"Mmm," I mumble when she thrusts her hips to meet my mouth. Obviously wanting more, I continue my exquisite brand of torture, using my tongue to lave her moist core while adding a finger. With each circle and pass of my tongue on her heated flesh, her fingers tug harder on my hair. The delicious sounds she makes are nearly my own undoing. Within minutes she's nearing the precipice, grinding her body shamelessly against my face. When our hungry eyes meet, it's the last nudge she needed to topple over the edge, her body bucking as wave after wave of pleasure wash over her.

"God, you're beautiful." In awe of my gorgeous wife, I crawl up her sated and boneless body.

"Damon?" When she sees that my eyes are exploding in lust, chill bumps erupt on her body. Instead of lying in the cradle of her spread legs, I lean my body against the headboard, pulling her to straddle me. Eyeing me seductively, she runs her hands down my chest while nuzzling my neck with wispy kiss and gentle nips with her teeth. When I see the fire burning in her eyes, I feel a shiver surge up my spine. Unable to control myself, I crash my lips to hers, our kiss so heated that I have to pull away, panting for air.

Once I suck in a deep shuddering breath, I sit upright, bringing our bodies flush, one against the other. I wrap an arm around her middle, my mouth dropping open when she raises up and slowly and sensuously sinks down, seating me fully inside of her.

"Oh my God," she breathes as she starts circling her hips. Wanting to keep her as close to me as possible, I wrap her securely in my arms, my eyes falling closed with the exquisite pleasure that is us. Once she begins to move, my head drops back, knowing I'll never tire of sharing this with my wife.

"Fuck Elena, you feel so good." My lips brush against her sweat dampened skin. Smiling like the minx she is, she not only rolls her hips, she lifts herself and slams back down sending me careening towards my release. Wanting to feel her lips against mine, I cup the back of her neck, tangling my fingers in her hair and capturing them in a blistering kiss.

Chasing her own release, she moves faster and harder. When she digs her nails into my shoulders, I groan loudly, burying my face in her neck, my lips against her ear, whispering, "Let go, baby." As if my words are the trigger she needed, I feel her muscles begin to contract at the same time her body begins to convulse. Seeing her in the throes of passion is one of the most beautiful sights in my world.

Needing to reach Nirvana myself, I clasp my arms around her, laying her against the mattress. After draping one of her legs around my hip, I push into her faster, harder and stronger. Feeling the coil in my belly getting ready to burst, I push one final time erupting with her name leaving my lips in a cry of unbridled ecstasy. When the waves finally begin to recede, I'm unable to hold myself up any longer, dropping my weight on to her. Elena holds me tightly as our breathing normalizes and the air in the room dries our sweat dampened skin.

* * *

"Someone is tired," I mention to my dad when he steps beside me, a sleeping Hunter in his arms.

"He's such a sweet boy, Damon. I'm very proud of the man you've become."

"Thanks dad. And yes, he is a sweet little guy. He is my son after all." I can't hold back a laugh when dad rolls his eyes at me.

"What are you two up to?" My mom asks when she walks up to the two of us, Finley asleep in her arms.

"We're just talking mom." Every time I look at my little girl, both of my children really, I have to pinch myself. Sometimes it's hard to fathom but I'm really living my dreams.

"With her black hair and bright blue eyes, she's a female version of you."

"Will you two stand together so I can take a couple of pictures?" After nudging them closer to each other, I walk over to pick up my phone. Just as I'm ready to snap the picture, my beautiful wife steps beside me.

"Hey you."

"Go stand by mom and dad so I can take a picture." Standing beside dad, he wraps his free arm around her shoulder and pulls her close. When I say, 'cheese' they all smile while my babies stay blissfully asleep in their arms. Once I finish, we take the kids into our house to put them to bed. It's been a long day as we celebrated Hunter's second birthday. Everyone has already gone home except for my parents who are staying overnight with us before they drive back to Durango tomorrow.

Stefan and Caroline stayed with Brady because he has room at the house that he used to share with Elena. Brady has become part of our extended family too, having joined us frequently when we've made the trip to my folks house. He gets along famously with my dad, sometimes even driving down there himself to go hunting or fishing with dad.

Once we get them changed into their pajamas and tucked in, we retreat to our bedroom. When I see her yawning widely, I let her take a shower first while I run downstairs to make sure the door is locked. After taking a moment to load the dishwasher, I say goodnight to my parents and go back upstairs, smiling when I see that she's already asleep. Exhaling, I sit at the side of the bed to take off my shoes and socks, dropping the rest of my clothes in the hamper once I get in the bathroom.

By the time I get out of the shower, I'm pretty tired myself. Lifting the covers, I crawl in, taking a moment to press a kiss to Elena's cheek. Turning onto my side, I rest my palm on the swell of her beautiful belly. We've been so blessed. After struggling with infertility, she got pregnant again not long after Finley's first birthday.

When I feel the flutter as my baby moves inside of her, I lower my lips to that spot, whispering, "daddy loves you little one." After feeling an answering nudge against my palm, I lay back down and close my eyes. A smile plays on my face as sleep pulls me under, dreams of my family alight in my head.

The End

* * *

 _Tears... I hate for this one to end._

 _Thank you Eva for everything you do for me. And thank you Kate for the gorgeous cover image. Please read her stories, Florencia7, no one writes DE like she does._

 _And a huge hug and thanks to everyone of you who followed, made this a favorite and especially those of you who took those extra few seconds to write a few words. I appreciate all of you so much._

 _chapter title: 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' by Elton John._

 _' **Angels Fall** ' updated yesterday and ' **Tears in Heaven** ' will update tomorrow. Both of these have quite a bit of story left to tell. _

_I have posted the first chapter of ' **Dig** '. I do hope you'll give it a read and leave me a review. I'm excited for you all to get to know intrepid archeologist, Dr. Damon Salvatore and best-selling author, Elena Gilbert._

 _The reviews more than anything else do stimulate me to write..._

 _Remember to click that * **REVIEW** * button one last time... _

_Before the lights close on this for the final time, thank you all again._

 _And as always, I hope you all have a safe and very lovely weekend._


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